Thicker Than Water
by acole24
Summary: AU/Human. The Salvatore brothers have moved back to Mystic Falls, and they quickly become connected to a captivating girl through a set of small town tragedies. The secrets the brothers have kept for the last 15 years ultimately become the link that binds them to the girl, and her connection to one brother and his secret bring them closer than she ever imagined.
1. Chapter 1

The impact was not as sharp as he had expected, and he began to sink quickly. After what felt like minutes, his descent slowed and he opened his eyes. The rain had warmed the water, and the steady fall of the drops on the surface allowed him to see only a blurry outline of the moonlight above him. The ringing in his ears and the panic in his lungs began to overwhelm his thoughts, and for the first time in days, he smiled. He had never felt so alive, and this is what he was after. He closed his eyes again, so he did not notice when the figure of a man covered the light from the moon. He heard a splash, and before he could react he was being pulled to the surface.

He was thrown into the mud next to a black leather jacket that was all too familiar, and he rolled over coughing and laughing at the same time. "My hero." He coughed out.

"What are doing?!" The man who was now lying beside him yelled, shoving him so hard he nearly rolled back onto his stomach. "What were you trying to do? You inconsiderate, selfish-"

"Swimming." He laughed and tried to open his eyes to see the full moon through the raindrops.

"Right, Damon. In the rain, with your clothes on at 10:30 at night?" His "rescuer" was standing now, putting his jacket and jeans back on.

"I was remembering what it's like to feel again, Stefan." Realizing how upset he had made his brother, he sobered up from the adrenaline rush. "I wasn't going to drown, idiot." He couldn't be too serious if he had any chance of Stefan laying off of him about this for the next month. _How did he even know I left the house?_ He stood up and followed his brother, who had stormed off down the road. It was a half a mile to the shoulder where he had parked his car, and knowing that this was the only place to safely pull off the road to get to the bridge, he assumed his brother's car would be parked there as well.

They walked in silence; Damon trailed behind Stefan wondering what really would have happened had his brother not showed up. Truly, he hadn't thought that far ahead. He had not had a clear head in days, and tonight after his third glass of scotch he decided what he could do to make the thoughts go away. He would jump off the bridge, and see how long it took before his conscience stopped screaming. He had always been an outsider, a troublemaker; he never felt much remorse for the things he had done in the past, but thoughts of that night would not leave his mind. All he wanted was not to care and on the walk back to the car, with somewhat of a new outlook on life, he made the decision to stop caring once and for all.

The cars were in sight, and just as Stefan pushed the button on his key ring to unlock the door, both men stopped cold. "Did you hear that?" He turned around quickly.

"It sounded like-" Damon turned to look back in the direction they had come.

"Go, Damon." Stefan demanded and began to run back towards the bridge.

"What, why? You're not going alone, Stefan!" He started to jog as his brother doubled back past him, but Stefan stopped quickly, grabbing Damon's shoulders.

"If that was what I think it was, there will be police soon and the last thing you need right now is any questioning. Not in this… state of mind."

He was right. "Don't do anything stupid. You can't save everyone." Damon frowned, but remembering his newfound outlook he somewhat gladly returned to his car. A few miles down the road as he was nearing the estate, four police cars, an ambulance and a fire truck buzzed past him.

...

I was 17 the night my parents died. There was nothing normal about that night. It was the night my cheerleading banquet had been scheduled, but the town council canceled the banquet after the events of the previous week. A body had been found washed up on shore the next town over, identified as a graduate of the state university two hours north. He was known to run in bad circles, so my friends and I knew not to be too concerned our own safety. Our parents, however, panicked and canceled every town event scheduled for the next two weeks. They placed an 8:00 curfew on the teenagers, and held an emergency town meeting in place of the banquet a week later. This is where my parents were returning from the night their car hydroplaned off of Wickery Bridge.

When I arrived at the police station, my brother Jeremy ran to greet me at the door. He threw himself into me and sobbed uncontrollably, my face buried in his shirt. I stood there motionless; I couldn't even wrap my arms around him. None of this was real.

An officer pulled him away, realizing that I needed space. Jeremy sunk to the floor and continued to cry. I looked around at the faces of the officers, their hats removed and their faces sullen. I had never experienced that look before - the look of deepest sympathy, coming from people who knew they couldn't possibly understand but had to try anyway. My eyes stopped on a boy around my age, maybe a year or two older wrapped in a blue blanket on the opposite side of the room. The officers had told me the story standing in the front foyer of my house, and it replayed in my mind during the drive to the station. I knew this must be the guy who called the police. Not knowing what I was doing or why, I found myself walking over to him. Initially, my first emotion about this man was anger. Why couldn't he have gotten there sooner, why couldn't he have opened the doors and pulled them out? He was there; they weren't alone. There had been a chance, but he failed. Now, seeing him here, I suddenly felt sad. The first real feeling of sadness I had felt since I found out my parents weren't coming home ever again, and I felt it for this boy - not myself, not my brother. Him. I walked over to him, and when I reached his chair he stood up, dropped his blanket to the floor and stood unsteady, wondering what I was going to do to him. I stopped, contemplating for a split second whether or I wanted to slap him or hug him. Before I could make up my mind, he held his hand out and took mine.

"I'm so...I'm so sorry... I tried to... but the doors..." He stammered.

I looked up at him and nodded. Immediately, tears started flowing. I covered my face with my hands, fell to my knees and watched the tears bounce off of the tile floor. I felt like a child all of a sudden, and I did not want to be here in this room full of people - especially with him. I still did not know what I felt towards him, but I realized suddenly that didn't matter - my parents were gone. After what felt like hours sitting on the floor of the station, I lifted my head when I heard the front door close. There was another man, definitely a few years older in his late 20's standing there, looking terrified and confused. He had dark hair and piercing blue eyes that were bright even from across the room. The most intriguing thing about his eyes were the secrets that I could tell he held behind him, and the way the stress of the world showed ever so slightly in his expression. We made eye contact, and for the first time since I opened the door to the police at midnight, I received a look of empathy. He didn't feel sorry for me, he understood me and the slight frown in his expression was more honest than anyone else had been all night.

"Are you finished with him? Come on, Stefan." He put his arm around his brother's shoulder and led him to the exit, looking for approval from the officers at the front desk. They nodded, patted the boy on his shoulder as he passed, mumbled words of condolence and appreciation and with that, the two were gone. Still staring out into the night, the next face I saw was that of my Aunt Jenna, my mother's sister. She ran through the front door and stopped, looking around for my brother and me. Both of us stood up and ran to her, and for the first time that night my family mourned together.


	2. Chapter 2

Summer vacation came and went, and before I knew it Caroline Forbes was at my front door with an invitation to the Annual End of Summer Bonfire. I had not been to a single party since the accident, and if it weren't for my friends showing up at my house and dragging me to dinner on three different occasions, I wouldn't have left my house all summer. My Aunt Jenna had moved in to look after Jeremy and I, although I protested that she not make the permanent move, as I would be turning 18 in just a few months and could look after my brother just fine on my own. She insisted, and truly I was grateful. I barely had the strength to take care of myself, let alone my fifteen-year-old ailing brother. He handled the grief differently than I did - while I barely left home, he was rarely ever home. He came home whenever he pleased to sleep, then would wake up in the afternoon and was gone again. I heard through reports at dinner with the girls that he had started hanging around the older misfit boys at my school, but any attempts to talk to him were thwarted immediately. Eventually I gave up, trusting that he would find his way and that he wouldn't do anything too stupid. My aunt, however, was at her wits end.

"Elena, you need to get out of this house. You've come every year since the inception of this event, and I won't let you stop now! This will be good for you. You need to get back into the light of the world." Caroline had a way of being very persuading, and although I knew she was right, I just wasn't sure that I was ready yet.

I heard a door slam upstairs. "How many times do I have to tell you? You are NOT my mom, you never will be. Stay. Out. Of. My. Life!" Jeremy screamed, running down the stairs.

"I am your guardian, Jeremy and you will do what I say!"

With that, the front door slammed. Jenna sank down to sit on the stairs halfway down and ran her hands through her hair. "Did I sound okay? Did I sound like a responsible authority figure?" She sighed.

"You sounded great, Jenna." Caroline smiled politely.

"On second thought, Care-" I interjected. "Come help me pick out something to wear."

Suddenly, getting out of the monotony of my house had never sounded better.

...

It was quiet for the first few minutes of the ride to the barn in Caroline's car. Finally, she broke the silence. "So... don't be mad..." I knew whenever Caroline started out a statement with those words, I was almost always going to be mad. "I invited Stefan."

"Stefan?" I sighed. I should have known.

"Yes, the guy who... you know, you met him at the police station." She explained.

"I know who he is, Caroline. We talked about this. I have no interest in seeing him, I don't care how 'cute' he is or what he tried to do that night. It's too hard for me… knowing he was there."

Caroline had done some investigating on the mysterious stranger who appeared in Mystic Falls the night of my parent's accident, at no request of my own. She volunteered all she had learned during dinner one night a month after the accident. I learned that he had lived in Mystic Falls at one point with his family at the Salvatore Estate on the edge of town. He was only a baby, maybe 3 years old when he and his brother got put into foster care. His brother was older, 10 at the time. Both of their parents died, although Caroline's mom wouldn't tell her exactly how as most of the story was clouded in rumors at the time. Apparently, the boys were in and out of foster homes for the next eight years, getting into trouble and being sent back to the group home in the city. The estate was left to an estranged uncle until the oldest Salvatore brother was 18, so this man had been living in the house looking after the property for the past 15 years. Although the oldest turned 18 seven years ago, he got an apartment and a job in the city to wait for his brother before he took over the estate. They had vowed to stay together, and at the time Stefan was in the care of a nice family in the suburbs. Stefan's brother encouraged him to remain with this latest foster family when they offered to send him to college and continue to support him, but Stefan had never wanted a life where he had any separation from his brother. A few months ago, the day after Stefan's 18th birthday, the boys left the city and came back to Mystic Falls. This meant he had to drop out of school just months before his senior year ended, so he would be a senior at our high school for half of the upcoming year to complete his diploma. Caroline was infatuated with the idea of me finding a fairy tale romance with the man who tried to save my parent's life, but quite frankly I did not know how I would even react the next time I saw him.

"That's the past, this is now, and I'm telling you, Elena - he might just be your future!" She raised her eyebrows in delight. I rolled my eyes. "So anyway, Bonnie and I went to their house yesterday and-"

"You what?! That's incredibly ballsy, Caroline. What if they just want to be left alone? You don't know anything about them." I protested.

"..And this SUPER hot guy answered the door. Oh. My. God, Elena you didn't tell me his brother was a Greek God!" She squealed. I rolled my eyes again, knowing there was nothing I could even say to derail her at this point. "So he got Stefan, and I gave him the invitation. He said he would love to come, and... so I kind of invited Damon too." She got quiet towards the end, a whisper of a confession.

"What?!" I sat up and stared wide-eyed at her.

"That's his brother-"

"I know, Caroline! He's like, 30 or something I'm sure he has absolutely NO interest in high school bonfires!" Sometimes I couldn't believe her audacity, but deep down I wasn't the least bit surprised.

"Well, you're wrong. He's coming. And we're going to be dating brothers, and it's going to be-"

"Caroline," I sighed louder than ever this time. "Please just stop with the Stefan thing. And you need to be careful with this Damon guy. He kind of gave me the creeps, and an older guy has no business with a high school senior." It was only a half lie. He didn't really give me the creeps, but there was something about him that I just didn't quite like for Caroline Forbes. Then again, she always seemed to find those types.

...

"You're wrong for this, Damon. You know it." Stefan buttoned up his third attempt at the perfect shirt for the bonfire and stood in front of the mirror. As usual, Damon was already dressed in the first outfit he threw on, although it looked like he had planned it specifically for the occasion. He was lying against the headboard of Stefan's bed, scotch in hand smirking at his brother's pathetic attempt to dress up for his first night out with his new schoolmates. Whereas Damon couldn't care less about what the town teenagers thought of him, his brother had been consumed all day with what to wear, what to say, what not to say and what would happen if _she _were there.

"I'm sure she's eighteen. Or almost, anyway." He grinned at Stefan's expression in the mirror and Stefan knew that there was no point in arguing. Ever since Caroline Forbes showed up at their door the day before, she had become Damon's newest conquest. Damon had deflowered many girls in the city, and Stefan was sure a fair share weren't quite legal yet. He had mostly hung around the bars where the college kids frequented, but occasionally a high school girl in the wrong crowd would venture his way - and how was it his place to stand in the way of a girl's desire? Stefan had heard rumors towards the end of the school year that girls in his class had been seen with Damon, but it was none of his business what his brother did with his personal life. He had done worse things, and Stefan learned early on in life to either stand by his brother's side or to move far, far out of the way. There was no stopping him.

Stefan had no interest in getting anything other than a few friends out of this party - girls were the last thing on his mind after the emotional roller coaster he had been on since his eighteenth birthday. First, there was the incident with brother two weeks after they came back to town... and there was the night of the car accident. Damon has sworn that he had no intention of dying that night; that he knew he wouldn't be able to stay under once the flight response kicked in, but Stefan questioned it every night since. What would have happened had he not opened the door to brother's room and found him missing? What if he wouldn't have known exactly where the find him, or worse - what if he had been too late? The bridge would have consumed three that night instead of two, and he couldn't fathom the thought of being alone in the world after all he and his brother had been through. Sure, they rarely saw eye-to-eye and in some respects were complete opposites, but something held them together unconditionally and no matter how many times Stefan had taken the rap for Damon, he always knew one day Damon would repay him. When they moved to Mystic Falls, Damon finally did repay the favor, and Stefan felt now that there was nothing he could do to ever even the scales again. He would forever be in Damon's debt.

"Are you ready yet? I'm buzzed and I'm ready to get this party started." Damon jumped off the bed, stood next to Stefan in the mirror to admire his own reflection, then left the room. "I'm leaving in two minutes!" He yelled behind him.

...

Elena slowly got out of Caroline's car, took a deep breath and looked ahead. The barn was filled with the people who she had grown up with, people who she had always known and been there for, but somehow this time they all looked different. Only a handful of times throughout her school career had a classmate lost a close family member, let alone both of their parents. She knew it would never be the same, but she vowed that from this night on, she would work hard to maintain a positive attitude and she was not going to look back again. It was time to start moving forward.

She saw Caroline skip around the front of the car and felt her link her arm through her own. "Ready?" She asked sweetly.

"Ready." Elena smiled, and they walked towards the party.

She spent the first couple of hours that night catching up with old friends who she had lost contact with over the past couple of months. Everyone must have been warned to avoid the topic, because no one asked her how she was doing. She appreciated that more than anything. Jeremy was there, standing off at the entrance to the woods beside the barn with some boys and girls wearing black and smoking cigarettes, brown bags of who knows what in their hands. Elena observed Jeremy take a few swigs occasionally from a friend's drink, but he never had one of his own; although she saw him take a few hits of the joint they were passing around freely and opening, he didn't partake in the cigarettes either. She realized then that there was still hope for him; that he had not been lost completely to the dark side.

It was around 11:00 when the Salvatore brothers finally arrived. She watched Caroline walk casually up to their car to greet them, although by this time she had a swerve in her step and a friendliness that was far more obnoxious than normal. Elena could see her turn ten shades of red when Damon stepped out of the car, and she found herself, despite everything, watching Stefan as he closed the door and stepped into the makeshift parking lot. She felt a sudden twinge of sadness again, reminiscent of the way she felt the first time she saw him. She shook it off and, taking a large swig of beer, started to walk towards him. Caroline was giggling with Damon already by the time she reached the car, and Stefan stood awkwardly beside them.

"Hi." She tapped him on the shoulder and he spun around quickly, his eyes dropping down to meet hers.

"Hi." He looked very nervous, and she hated that she made him feel that way already.

"We haven't officially met. I'm Elena." She extended her hand, and he shook it politely.

"Stefan."

"I know," she smiled. "Would you like a beer?" She couldn't think of anything else to say to break the ice. He nodded and they walked into the barn.

...

Damon grinned wildly when he saw Caroline bounding up to the car as they pulled into the lot. "Here we go, brother. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He said, and at that moment Stefan knew he wouldn't see Damon for the rest of the night. He didn't like to be associated with his little brother in social situations, and Stefan had no problem with that at all.

"You made it!" Caroline squealed, and hugged Damon as if she had known him for years.

"Of course, we told you we would be here, didn't we?" Damon smiled seductively at her, and any doubt he may have had before this moment was erased in his mind. He knew he had her; he wouldn't even have to try hard. She was drunk, and willing. The best combination.

For Damon, there was no better high than emotionless, meaningless sex with a girl he would never have to see again. Any conversation that evoked feelings from a girl would involve him remembering things he had worked hard to forget. He made that mistake once, with a girl he met just after he turned eighteen and moved out of the home. She went to the university and he met her at a coffee shop, of all places. They dated for about two years, until he found her in bed with a freshman at a party her roommate was throwing. His heart was broken, and from that moment on he vowed that bars, not coffee shops, were the only appropriate places to meet women. No expectations, no serious talks, and (after she left his bed in the morning) no tomorrows.

"Let's get you a drink!" Caroline grabbed Damon's hand and pulled him behind her, like a new puppy that she wanted to show off to the world. The looks she received from the other teenagers at the barn were very amusing, but not uncommon to Damon. He had seen these looks before, and he had a feeling Caroline had evoked them from her peers before as well.

Before long, he had moved the conversation from inside the barn to the edge of the woods. Not long after that, the conversation became less about talking and more about kissing. He was slightly impressed at the ease with which she allowed him to put his hands on her in places that some girls wouldn't dare until at least after a dinner date. He was just about to suggest they go into the woods to find a place where they could be alone, when a girl yelled Caroline's name.

"Caroline!" Elena ran down into the trees and grabbed Caroline's arm. "I think we should go, I need to get you home." She frowned, knowing full well what was about to go down and the tears she would be wiping away from Caroline's eyes for the next week afterwards.

"Elenaaaa! It's early, and we... were just.." She giggled and looked up at Damon, who suddenly looked less than amused.

"She's fine, I'll get her home." He promised, forcing a smile but knowing he wasn't fooling this girl.

Stefan suddenly appeared at the girl's side, and it finally hit Damon who she was. The scotch, beer, and teenage hormones had clouded his vision and he hadn't recognized Elena before. Of course, he heard all summer about the poor, innocent girl Stefan had met at the police station and how terrible he felt for her. How Stefan had wanted to call her, to visit her all summer but never knew what to say. When Caroline invited Stefan to the bonfire, he knew immediately that he might finally have the chance to find the right words, and that's all that consumed his thoughts for the past 24 hours.

"Stefan!" Caroline embraced Stefan for the first time all night, then stumbled back and whispered not so quietly to Elena, "See! I told you sooo!"

"Damon, I think it's time for the girls to go home. It's late, their parents are expecting them I'm sure," Stefan tried, knowing it was nothing but a valiant effort. He had enjoyed spending the last few hours with Elena, talking about everything except the elephant in the room, and he didn't want the night to end either. He was thankful that she broke the ice and that she did not want to go to the forbidden conversation, and he found himself by her side all night. Strange as it felt after feeling so guilty all summer about their last encounter, he thought he might actually like this girl.

"Stefan. Caroline is a big girl, she can make her own decisions." He grabbed her arm and pulled her to his side, running his hand around her waist and pulling her close to him.

She swooned, giggling and looked up at him with unbridled passion.

Elena nearly gasped out loud when Damon grabbed Caroline so forcefully, and she jolted forward a bit. Stefan noticed and put his hand on her shoulder. He didn't want her to see this side of his brother in the fear that she may judge him based on Damon's actions.

"Elena, he's right. She seems to be enjoying herself. I'll get you home, Damon can take Caroline in her car." He suggested with a frown.

Elena knew he was right. She regretfully handed Caroline's keys to this stranger in the woods, trusting him with her best friend's life. He smirked as she dropped the keys into his hand, and at that moment she wanted nothing more than to punch him in the stomach.

With that, they walked away, leaving Damon to his mistress in the woods again. "Now, where were we?" He kissed her hard, and he could tell she was losing some of her energy. "Let's go to my place." He suggested, and picked her up in his arms to carry her to the car. By now, most everyone was staggering home and Damon carried Caroline unnoticed to the car that beeped when he hit the button on the key ring. She giggled the whole time. Once in the car, they made it four miles down the road before pulling over to finish what they had started. He preferred this way, because when they were done he was able to drop her off down the road from her house, and he headed home alone in her car. No tomorrows.


	3. Chapter 3

****A/N: Thanks to everyone who has viewed so far! As you may have noticed, I changed the title – this one felt better :) Please leave reviews, I'd love to see what you think!****

I wasn't sure what to think on the car ride home with Stefan from the bonfire. The last thing I expected was for Caroline Forbes to be right. Stefan was a genuinely great guy, and besides the annoying, creepy older brother there didn't seem to be much not to like about the guy. Still, something didn't feel exactly right. I chalked it up to the obvious and decided to stop thinking about it for now. I had made a new friend, someone who I could start over with and for some reason, that was far more comforting to me than any of my old friend's had felt lately. He dropped me off in my driveway where I was greeted by Jenna in a robe, pacing.

"Elena for god's sake! First Jeremy, now you? Do you know what time it is! Jeremy was even home an hour ago!"

I leaned down into the car. "Bye Stefan," I whispered. "Thank you." and for some reason, I think we both knew that meant for more than just the ride home.

"I told you where I was going, Jenna. I'm fine," I offered, watching Stefan back out of the driveway and drive down the road.

"You could have called. Have you... have you been drinking?" She stared at me wide-eyed. Suddenly, she burst out into laughter. "You're a normal teenager again! Do you know how long I've waited for this moment?" She cried out, hugging me tightly.

"Um… It won't happen again?" I smiled and we went inside.

...

"Stefan!" Damon called out from his bed, pulling the covers over his face to shield the sun from his aching eyes.

Stefan appeared in the doorway a few minutes later, throwing a water and a bottle of pain pills onto Damon's bed. This wasn't his first rodeo, and he knew if he were going to get any peace and quiet today he better start with the remedy.

"I need you to take Caroline's car back." he mumbled from under the covers, pointing to the keys on the night stand.

"You're kidding, right?" He laughed.

"Do I sound like I'm kidding? I can't see her again, asshole. Just do it. Go away."

"Wow, and I'm the asshole..." Stefan sauntered over to the night stand, grabbed the keys loudly and slammed the door on the way out. As much as he hated to admit it, he was actually overwhelmed with relief that his brother was back to his old ways. The only thing that worried him more than wild Damon was depressed Damon.

Downstairs, he tossed the keys in the air for about thirty minutes, staring at his cell phone. He knew that the only way he could get Caroline's car to her house was to have Elena meet him there so he could get a ride home. He didn't know anyone elses number. For some reason, he felt that seeing her today would be different than last night. That all the strange feelings they both had wouldn't be disguised as easily in the light of day, when the two of them were alone.

Realizing how stupid he was being, he picked up his phone and called her. She answered on the third ring, sounding as surprised as he felt to be calling her this soon.

"Elena, hi. It's Stefan. From last night." He hit himself in the forehead. How many other Stefan's did she know?

"Hi." She said quietly.

He explained the situation and she agreed to meet him at Caroline's to give him a ride home. An hour later, he was pulling into Caroline's driveway after using the "home" navigation on the GPS in her car. Elena was already there, leaning on the side of her car with Caroline in her arms. Caroline was crying, and Stefan instantly wanted to turn around and go back. Knowing that wasn't an option, he slowed the car to a stop and got out. He wanted to make this as quick as possible.

As soon as he approached, Caroline pulled away from Elena and shot Stefan an evil glare. "Your brother is an asshole!" She sobbed. Stefan recalled the night's events, and he had to admit - though his brother _was_ an asshole, she didn't seem too unwilling to get into the car with him.

"Sorry," he mumbled, not for the first time at his brother's expense.

"Not your fault," Elena interrupted, putting a hand on Caroline's shoulder. She pulled her in for another hug and said, "You're going to be fine, I promise. You never have to see him again." Caroline nodded and they said their goodbyes. After thanking Stefan, Caroline took her keys and disappeared inside.

Stefan was right. This was awkward.

"Should we go?" Elena asked quietly, avoiding eye contact.

The drive was mostly silent, except for Stefan's directions. When they were about a mile from the house, he realized this would be his only chance before school started to talk to her again. "Elena," he began nervously, "I know this is strange for you. It's weird for me too."

"Weird?" She smiled. That's not exactly the word she would use. Confusing, maybe. Bizarre, definitely.

"Sorry," he sighed. "Elena, can I see again?" he blurted out.

"Um," she stammered. She was taken aback by the suddenness of his advance, and she hadn't prepared a response. Before she fully thought out her answer, she agreed. "Sure. You have my number, just call me." She smiled awkwardly, and the Salvatore estate came into view around the corner.

He was silent as they pulled into the driveway, but a smile lit up his face. He felt like an idiot, but he was hopeful. As he pulled the handle to open the door, he saw his brother sitting on the front porch, sunglasses on. Sweat pants, no shirt. Of course. He sighed.

Damon stood up and approached the car. Stefan thanked Elena, said he would call her and tried to rush to close the door. "Hey, wait." Damon yelled. With another sigh, Stefan held the door open.

"Elena, right?" Damon asked with his famous lady-charmer smile, leaning into the passenger seat.

"Yes. Damon." She shot him the fakest smile she could muster, and was sure he knew why.

"I haven't formally introduced myself," he continued, ignoring her sarcasm. "My name is Damon, I'm Stefan's big brother. It was a pleasure meeting you last night. I would apologize for any… inconvenience I may have caused, but I feel it would do no good. I'm sure I'll be seeing you around, and I hope to make it up to you and your friend."

"I'm sure." She smiled again, hoping he would take the hint and close the door.

He did, and he waved as she backed away.

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

"What, did I miss the part where you called dibs?" Damon patted Stefan's shoulder as they walked into the house.

"Damon, no." Stefan stopped and stared at him. "You can't just do what you do to every teenage girl in this town. They'll chase us out of here before we've even unpacked. And yes. Dibs." He shoved Damon's arm away and sped up to enter the house.

Damon laughed behind him. "Don't worry. I don't do brunettes." He called after him, and turned to watch her drive around the corner. As much as he hated to admit it, there was something about her that he was insanely attracted to; from the moment he laid eyes on her in all her distress at the police station. He had never seen anyone look so defeated by emotion, and he felt that he maybe had met the one person who might actually understand what he had been through. He also knew from the instant he saw the way Stefan looked at her that night that Stefan was hooked, line and sinker for this girl and he would have to be careful. Over the past few years he had stolen a love interest or two from Stefan at the bars he would take him to, but in his mind he was only saving Stefan from all the hurt that would eventually follow. He knew this time it would be different, but he didn't yet know how.

...

_"Dad..." Damon had a question in his mind ever since he had left the house with his father, fishing pole in tow. He had never gone fishing with his father. In fact, he had never spent as much time with his father in his life as he had this week alone. Something was different, but he couldn't place just what it was. _

_"Yeah, son?" Damon's dad looked at him through clouded eyes, never really smiling but trying. They were under the Wickery Bridge, fishing off of the bank. It was a hot day, and he had a lot on his mind. He had to spend every second he could with his boy, and he knew he would have to tell him why eventually. He just wasn't quite ready yet._

_"Why are we doing all these new things this week? You took me shooting, you showed me where the-" _

_"Ah ah, Damon. What did I tell you? No one knows about that, not even your mother. That's our little secret."_

_"Right. And now fishing? Why? What's going on?" He finished, still not quite understanding the sudden secrecy._

_"There just comes a time in a boy's life, son, when he needs to learn how to do things for himself. I won't always be around, you know. You might have to take care of your mother and your baby brother one day."_

_That's the answer Damon was afraid of. Something was going on with his dad, something bad. He became silent. He knew there were no fish here, and he knew he would never need to catch fish to feed his family. His dad showing this much concern for spending time with his son was the most worrisome of all, especially considering all the hours Damon had spent alone with his mother the past 10 years. Now he had to share her with Stefan, and he resented him for that. But the thought that he might be the man of the family one day empowered him, and he sat alone in his thoughts of hunting, fishing and taking care of business. _

_"Will you promise me something else, Dae." His dad asked quietly. _

_Damon became very nervous. His father was a strong, powerful man and he had never needed Damon before. He wanted to believe that whatever was going on, his dad could still get along just fine and life would go on just like normal. He didn't want to promise him anything, because it wouldn't matter. Just like he would never need to know about the place in the crawl space of his parent's closet, under the floorboard that his dad had showed him this week. "Okay." he said quietly._

_"If anything were to ever happen...to me..." he trailed off._

_"Shut up, dad." Damon punched his dad's arm. And although he acted playful, he meant it. He didn't want to have this conversation. He was only 10._

_"You promise me you'll take care of them." His dad finished. It was more a statement, not a question. Damon just nodded slightly. He wasn't even sure his dad saw him, but he knew he didn't need to. _

_Another week passed. With each day, Damon's dad grew increasingly more emotional with his family, and increasingly more suspicious when he left the house. It got to the point where he didn't leave the house for two days straight. He just looked out the front window, pacing back and forth, and talking in hushed tones on the telephone._

_When his dad wasn't pacing the floor, he was fighting with his mom. He had been acting strange ever since returning from his last business trip, and she suspected infidelity. The fighting the past few days had gotten out of control, and it was all Damon could do to calm his brother when he started crying every time the raised voices began. On Friday, he became so fed up with the yelling that he vowed to make it stop. After rocking Stefan to sleep in his arms during the afternoon, he ran downstairs and put on a smile._

_"Daddy, can we go fishing again?" He already had his fishing pole in his hand, a hat on his head and his mud shoes on his feet._

_"Yes, Damon but not today." His dad answered, turning away from the window to look at his son. When he saw him standing there, decked out in his gear his face fell. Damon quickly willed tears into his eyes, letting one slide down his cheek. "Okay, son. One hour. Let's go." He grabbed his jacket and they got in the car. Damon felt accomplished, knowing that for at least one hour he and his dad had escaped, and his mother and his brother would have quiet in the house._

_They arrived at the shoulder to park the car and began the short hike to the bridge. After half an hour, Damon had cast his pole and his dad was standing behind him near the edge of the woods, hands in his pockets. He tensed at every car that drove by._

_Damon had had enough. He dropped his pole, turned around and stared at his dad with the most serious expression he could muster. "Dad." He demanded. "What in the hell is going on?" He had never said that word before for fear that his dad would have his ass if he did. Today, he couldn't care less._

_"Damon…"His dad began, then the color fell from his face. He was looking up at the bridge as a black car began to cross. "Damon! Go in the woods. Go now!" He screamed, and Damon saw his dad pull a gun out from under his shirt that he never knew his father had even owned._

_Damon looked back at the car, slowing as it approached. He didn't understand what was going on, but he ran as fast as his legs would carry him into the woods. There was a moment when he thought, 'What am I doing? I can be a man, I can help.' But he just kept running. _

_Less than a minute later, he heard the gunshots. The strangest thing about all the emotions he felt at that moment was that he was never once surprised. He just kept running, crying harder and harder with every step. He emerged after what felt like hours in the middle of the road. He wasn't sure where he was, but he fell to his knees in the middle of the street. A car approached and slowed; when the concerned citizen got out to help the boy, all he could do was cry._


	4. Chapter 4

The school year began, and before long we were preparing for the homecoming football game. I had always been a cheerleader, but this year I found it hard to do much cheering. I knew that I couldn't let that show, and I had done a great job so far at practice. When it came time for the game, I nearly chickened out.

"I don't feel well, Care. I think I'm just going to stay home." I coughed into the phone, knowing she knew better.

"You invited Stefan. He's coming to watch you, you have to be there. Cut it out. See you in an hour." She hung up the phone, and I knew she had won.

I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom. Having already worn my uniform to school today, I was physically ready to go. Now for the mental preparedness.

Stefan and I had been hanging out since school started, mostly during lunch and in the parking lot before driving home. We had gone on two dates outside out school alone and had hung out several times with the gang at The Grille, and everything was going smoothly. He was an amazing listener, and so far he was the only person I felt comfortable talking to about my parents. I felt he, of all people, understood. The only disconnect we had so far was that he would never talk about his own parents and what had happened to them. He told me about his latest foster family, and some scattered stories about the other families and the home he grew up in. Mostly though, I talked and he listened.

Caroline had moved on from Damon, setting her sites on the quarterback, Tyler. He was a cocky ladies man, but he was nothing like Damon and for that I was grateful.

I had only seen Damon a few times since the day after the party, mostly hanging out at The Grille by the bar. As much as I hated him for what he did to Caroline, part of me knew it wasn't all his fault; another part of me felt bad for the guy. He was always alone, drinking and observing. Half of me wondered if maybe he wished he were part of Stefan's new crowd, but I tried not to think too much about it. Stefan wouldn't tell me much of anything about his brother, and I assumed there must be some secret brother bond that I just shouldn't delve into.

The doorbell rang, startling me from my thoughts. I grabbed my bag and ran downstairs. Stefan was waiting in the foyer where Jenna had let him in. "Ready?" He smiled up at me.

"Ready as I'll ever be." I hugged Jenna and left the house, turning on the cheer as soon as I stepped outside.

...

Damon sat alone at the bar, sipping on a whiskey sour. Whiskey normally wasn't his drink of choice, but he wanted to change it up a little tonight. The Grille was relatively empty; everyone would be at the game at the high school. There were a few stragglers, those who had no interest in football games. He had come to learn the cliques of the town, and the one that interested him most of all were the kids who looked like trouble. They would sit in a corner booth, quietly scoping out the scene and laughing at the jocks and cheerleaders. Stefan was part of that crowd now, and Damon couldn't help but laugh himself when he watched him trying to fit in. The Salvatore brothers had never been the popular type. In school, Damon would have been hanging out with the Lost Boys (as he came to mentally refer to them) in the corner booth. Stefan would have been at home studying when he wasn't following Damon around.

One kid that interested Damon most of all in this particular clique was the boy he recognized from the police station and the bonfire to be Elena's little brother, Jeremy. He was always very quiet, and he appeared to be the follower of the group - definitely not a leader. Tonight, he leaned against the pool table with a Coke bottle full of what was undoubtedly not just Coke, from the look on his face whenever he took a sip. He would occasionally look over at Damon with some type of piqued curiosity. Damon's interest in the kid was spiked by his boredom; he was so under stimulated lately that the thoughts had started to come back. He had started to drink earlier and earlier every day to force them back down deep inside. A new project was just what he needed to get his mind off of things. He had been watching Jeremy at The Grille for about a week now, waiting for the train wreck to unfold before him.

Tonight, Jeremy seemed much more agitated than usual. He also took a few more swigs from his drink than usual, and outside through the window Damon could see him take a few puffs of a cigarette, which hadn't been normal for him this week either. At one point, when Damon passed Jeremy's table on his way to the bathroom, he overheard raised voices.

"I don't care, man. If he shows up here tonight-" Jeremy was saying. He had found his own voice tonight, and the other members of his clique seemed shocked and a little frightened by the boy's newfound energy.

"Don't expect us to have your back, dude. I'm not messing with those guys, you saw what happened to that guy Trey last summer," One of the boys responded.

Damon froze in place, with his hand on the bathroom door. He hadn't heard that name in a long time, and surely it was no coincidence. He felt the color drain from his face. He composed himself and entered the bathroom. After a splash of water to the face, he went back to the bar and slammed two more drinks. As he turned to leave about half an hour later, he saw the boys at Jeremy's table running outside. He followed them nonchalantly into the parking lot.

"Jeremy! What the hell, man!" One of them yelled. "You're fucked!"

Jeremy had a metal rod and he was smashing in the driver side window of a black Camaro in the back of the lot. They all ran to their car and jumped in, squealing the tires as they pulled out. Damon reacted quickly when he heard the front door of the bar close and a man's voice yell out, "What are you doing, you little shit? That's my car!" He ran to where Jeremy was now standing, the rod dropped to the ground and Jeremy was pale white. Whatever had possessed the boy minutes ago had left his body now, and he was scared.

"Come with me." Damon grabbed Jeremy's arm and pulled him a few cars away to where his was parked, threw him the back seat and drove away as fast as he could. He had no idea what made him react so quickly to save Jeremy, but now that he had he wasn't sure what to do.

"Why did you do that?" Jeremy screamed from the back, leaning up between the front seats. "Why did you help me? I don't even know you."

"You're welcome," Damon glared at the boy in the rear view mirror, still unsure of what exactly he was doing. "You almost got yourself killed. You know that, right?"

Jeremy leaned back and shrugged. "I'm not scared of him."

"Who is he?" Damon asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer. He had a feeling he was more connected to this guy than he wanted to be, and after hearing the name Trey he couldn't stop thinking about the possible connection and what it might mean. Deep down he knew that his curiosity was the likely reason that he decided to get involved in the situation.

"What do you care? Let me out, I'm not going anywhere with you. I know who you are, my sister is dating your brother. And I know all about your family," He smiled smugly.

"Oh yeah? What do you think you know, kid?" Damon smiled back at him, excited about the rumors that he was sure had swarmed the town since their arrival.

Jeremy leaned forward, and Damon could smell the rum on his breath. "Your dad was a murderer," He whispered.

Damon slammed on the breaks, swerving into the grass. He threw the door open and walked around to the back seat, grabbing Jeremy by the collar and pulling him towards him. "What did you just say?" He brought Jeremy's face close to his and looked right into his bloodshot eyes. Jeremy was silent, white as a ghost again. The urge grew inside Damon to beat the boy to a bloody pulp and drive away. The angrier he got, the more scared he became and he decided to throw Jeremy down into the grass. "Enjoy the walk home," He spat, got in his car and peeled away. He looked back in the mirror at Jeremy lying in the grass until he could no longer see him. He drove for miles, not really knowing where he was going with anger, rage and sadness growing inside him all at once. After about half an hour, he began to calm down and started to feel guilty for what he had done to the boy. Conscience taking over, he took out his cell phone and called Stefan.

...

"You did great," Stefan couldn't but help but laugh at Elena after the game. She was so embarrassed, and quite frankly she was one of the worst cheerleaders he had ever seen. He was certain his being there had something to do with how nervous and awkward she looked, but he would never let her know.

They were in his car on the way to the post game party at the barn. He still felt a little silly, hanging out with football players and cheerleaders; attending barn parties in the middle of the woods. It was never his scene, and he felt a little too old for the crowd for some reason. Mostly, he felt guilty for the lack of time he'd been spending with his brother lately. He rarely saw him and when he did, Damon was so drunk he could barely function. As soon as they got to the barn Stefan's cell phone rang. Seeing it was his brother, he told Elena to go ahead and he would catch up.

"Damon. Are you okay?" He rarely received phone calls before midnight from his brother, and he had never been one to call for a ride home. He had a feeling that something was wrong.

"I may have messed up... just a little," Damon confessed. Without waiting for a response, he explained what happened and how he had left Elena's little brother stranded on the side of the road, miles from The Grille where a large, angry man was surely looking for him and far from walking distance to any other establishment. "I'm going back to get him," he sighed, before Stefan could explode.

"You just can't make my life any easier, can you?" Stefan was angry, but once again not surprised. "I'll talk to her. She's going to kill you."

"Oooh, I'm so scared. I'll call you when I get him. If I can find him," Before Stefan could respond, Damon had hung up.

Stefan looked out the front window, seeing Elena standing there in her sweat pants and cheerleading top, giggling with her friends outside the barn. She looked so calm and happy, and the last thing he wanted to do was tell her what his brother had done now. Why couldn't he just find another family in Mystic Falls to start messing with?

"Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?" He whispered, coming up behind her.

She smiled up at him, winked at Caroline and followed him back to the car. "What's up?" Her adrenaline was still pumping from the game, and she felt like tonight would be a good night to take her and Stefan's relationship to the next level. They had kissed for the first time on their second date, but had not been alone since. She was ready, and nothing could break her spirits tonight.

"I have some... interesting news." He tried to smile to reassure her, but she could tell instantly something was wrong. Her face fell to confusion. "My brother called. He's been at the Grille all night, and Jeremy was there. He got into some trouble with a guy in the parking lot."

"Oh my God. Is he okay?" Her hand covered her mouth.

"Yes. Well, I don't know," He continued, "Jeremy had a rod, and he was breaking the window of the guy's car..." He stopped to allow her to take it in slowly. "Damon got to Jeremy before the guy did. He was taking him home, but Jeremy said some smart ass remark and Damon kicked him out of the car and left."

"Smart ass remark! What kind of 'smart ass remark' could be so harmful to a 25-year-old man that would compel him to kick a 15-year-old boy out into the street?!" She screamed. By this time, people were looking over at them.

"I don't know," he frowned. "He wouldn't tell me. But he's on his way back to get him now."

"No he isn't, tell him to stop! We're going." She opened the car door.

"Elena, we're twenty-five miles from The Grille. It will take us a lot longer to get there from here than it will for Damon, and if that guy is looking for Jeremy I'm sure he's safer with him than in the street."

Elena slammed the door and leaned against the car, knowing he was right. She ran her hands through her hair and stared up at the sky. "What's it going to take for him to just grow up?"

At first, Stefan wasn't sure if Elena was referring to Jeremy or Damon. His response applied to both, "Some boys never do."


	5. Chapter 5

Damon slowed down as he neared the spot where he had left Jeremy. He expected that he would have walked at least a mile by now, but when he got to the tire tracks in the grass where he had stopped earlier still hadn't seen him. He stopped the car, got out and walked towards the woods.

"Change of heart?" Jeremy was sitting just inside the woods against a tree, hood on his head and his knees pulled up to his chest.

"Don't mistake me for having a heart, kid. I'm more scared of a sister's scorn than a guilty conscience," He half-confessed, sitting down on the ground across from him. "Why didn't you walk anywhere?"

"I knew someone would come here looking for me. Figured it would be Elena or Jenna." It was quiet for a few minutes, neither of them knew what to say or do. Damon felt he needed to apologize for his brother's sake, but every time he started to he remembered Jeremy's accusation and had to clench his teeth to stop from getting angry all over again. At the same time, an overwhelming part of him was dying to know what beef Jeremy had with a man who ran in circles with Trey. Even more so, he wanted to know what this man and his crowd were doing on this side of the city.

"Do you have a death wish?" Damon finally asked. Jeremy looked up at him, trying to decide what exactly he meant. "You tried to get yourself killed twice tonight. What do you think your sister is going to say about all this?"

Jeremy shrugged. "I could care less what she thinks. He had it coming," he confessed.

Damon was too intrigued to stop himself. "What's the deal with that guy?" He leaned forward, hoping not to seem too anxious.

"I still don't see why it's any of your business," Jeremy looked away again.

'I'm making it my business," Damon snapped. "Let's just say you owe me that much."

Jeremy thought about it for a few seconds, and then offered as much information as he felt comfortable with: "They've been hanging around here all summer, messing with my boys. They beat the crap out of Matthew a few weeks ago, and ever since then he hasn't been coming to school. No one has seen him. The other day I heard he was running with them now..." He trailed off. Matthew was obviously a close friend of Jeremy's. "Tonight he showed up with them at The Grille. I confronted him in the bathroom and he told me they were here for revenge and he couldn't talk about it. That asshole Klaus came in, called me a bastard and spit in my face. I just lost it."

Damon's curiosity peaked. He had heard that name before when reports of Trey's accident started surfacing. Klaus was the leader of the gang from the city that Trey belonged to; he was also Trey's older brother, though rumor had it the relationship was estranged. Damon tried not to pay attention much at all to any information surrounding the gang; he wanted to stay as disconnected from them as he possibly could. What he did know were the two names: Trey and Klaus. He also knew that the one who still remained had been in and out of jail for petty theft, robbery and gang violence for the past decade. "Revenge?" His mouth was dry, and he tried not to seem too animated, "For what?"

"Hell if I know," With that, Jeremy stood up. "Are you taking me home or are we going to sit here and chat all night?"

Damon knew he shouldn't press the issue any further. They returned to the car and he drove Jeremy home.

...

On the way back to my house, I knew the perfect night I had envisioned with Stefan had been ruined. I couldn't decide if I was more pissed at his brother or at my own, but regardless I would have to deal with both. Knowing I couldn't possibly do any more emotional damage to the evening, I figured now would be as good a time as ever to do some digging into the Salvatore family history.

"Stef," I asked quietly, trying to sound more concerned than curious, "Are you ever going to tell me about your parents?" I bit my lip, waiting for him to lash out.

He tensed up around the steering wheel but relaxed after a few seconds. "I don't really remember them," he offered.

"Do you feel like talking about it? I mean... about what happened to them?" I pried, sensing that he might be willing to open up.

"I don't like to talk about it," he said softly, "My dad was murdered and my mom killed herself a month after."

My mouth fell open in shock. Caroline had told me there were rumors, but she never alluded that they might be true. "I'm... I'm sorry, Stefan," was all I could think to say.

"Like I said, I didn't really know them. It's been worse for Damon than it was for me. Growing up in homes was all I ever knew, but he remembers a life when we were a family. He doesn't talk about it. And whenever any of the kids tried to bring up the rumors about our family in the homes, he would beat them until they couldn't speak anymore," He added, a little too casually. "It was hard for us to stay in one place. The only stable home I ever had was when Damon finally advanced out of the system. He resented me for it, I think. But he never left me, so I had to go with him when I was old enough to get out too."

"Why did you come back here?" I never knew the boys had so much tragedy in their past, and it explained the way that Damon was. It didn't excuse his behavior, but it explained it.

"Our parents left us everything. The estate has been in the family for hundreds of years, and they left it to Damon and me. Our uncle was left as guardian of the estate until Damon turned eighteen, and he agreed to hang around until we were ready to take it over," He continued.

"Where is he now?"

He fell silent for a minute. "He left shortly after we came back," He finished, but I could tell there was more to the story than just that.

We pulled into the driveway just minutes before Damon's car drove up. Jeremy got out, pushed past me and mumbled, "Don't want to talk about it," before disappearing inside.

Damon was standing in front of his car now, hands in his pockets, head down but always wearing that smile. "Elena," He nodded his head towards me.

My arms were crossed and I was pressing my lips together in the most serious way I felt possible. After glaring for a few seconds, I released with a sigh and stood in front of him. "Thank you," I squeaked out unwillingly.

Damon's eyes grew big as did Stefan's and they looked at each other in shock, then back at me. "You're welcome?" Damon finally responded.

"What did he say to you?" I questioned, but the look on Damon's face told me instantly I shouldn't have pried.

"Just stupid tough guy shit," He brushed it off and walked back to his car. "Sorry for kicking him out. He deserved it, but sorry anyway," He stopped and looked back at me. "He's got a good heart, Elena. He's just lost. He'll find his way."

And with that, he got in the car and drove away. I stood there looking after his car for a few minutes, wondering why I hadn't yelled all of the expletives I had planned out in the car for him. His last statement rang in my ears, and again I felt a pull at some string deep in my heart. I didn't know it then, but that would be the first of many times my heart skipped a beat for my boyfriend's brother.

...

Stefan awoke to the sound of his cell phone buzzing beside the bed. It was Saturday and far too early to wake up on the weekend. When he saw Elena's name he answered sleepily.

"Stefan! I've called you three times!" She screamed. He sat up in bed and pulled his phone away from his ear. Sure enough, the red light at the top corner of his phone was blinking, indicating a missed call. "I'm sorry, I was asleep," He felt a little defensive having to explain why he wasn't answering his phone at 8:00 on a Saturday morning.

"Jeremy's tires were slashed," She had been crying, he could hear it in her voice now.

He threw his legs off the side of the bed and ran his hand through his hair. He had a feeling after hearing the rest of the story from Damon last night that Jeremy might be in trouble.

"And," she was trying hard not to let him know she had been sobbing. "There was a dead cat on our doorstep," With that she burst into tears.

"I'm coming over," He hung up the phone and stood up, dressing quickly. He ran down the hall to Damon's room, threw open the door and turned on the light.

"What the fuck!" Damon sat up and threw a pillow at the door.

"Jeremy's in trouble, Dae," He let the pillow fall at his feet and waited for Damon to respond.

Damon growled and rolled over slowly, not lifting his head from the pillow. "How is this my problem? I did my part last night."

"You know how this is your problem, Damon," Stefan couldn't believe Damon was trying to write this off. They had established a connection between the guys at the bar and Trey, and although Damon was convinced it was some incredible coincidence that the guys were in town "seeking revenge", Stefan knew exactly what they had come for. The advantage they had thus far was that the guys obviously didn't yet know _who_ they had come for, but Stefan wasn't about to let Elena and her family get dragged into it any more than they had to be. "I'm going over there. I'll call you when I know something."

Damon didn't say another word, but when his bedroom door closed he opened his eyes and sat up, staring at the mirror ahead of his bed. "Here we go," he mumbled to himself.

...

Stefan spent the day at my house, trying to assure my family and me that we were going to be okay. He of course had no idea what to expect from these guys, but he had to try. He admitted that he felt somewhat responsible for some reason, but I couldn't possibly understand what he meant and he wouldn't elaborate any further. We decided not to call the police for fear that this might be traced back to what Jeremy had done the night before. That was the last thing our family needed.

"I've heard of these guys, Jeremy and they're nothing to mess with," Stefan was sitting across from Jeremy in the living room.

Jeremy felt like a complete idiot, and many times he said how he wished he could take it back. Now it was too late; they were after him, and he knew they wouldn't stop until they hurt him. "You think I don't know that? Didn't you hear what happened to the last guy they got pissed at? And he was Klaus' brother."

"What guy?" I instantly became scared; if these guys were capable of hurting their own family, what would they possibly do to my brother?

"That guy Trey, from the news a few months ago. Remember, we had a curfew and mom and dad went to that... to that meeting about it," he trailed off, not wanting to sidetrack too much about what else had happened that night.

"They killed him?" I sat straight up, looking from Jeremy to Stefan, who didn't seem to have much of a reaction to Jeremy's statement. "I thought they couldn't find the killer!"

"They couldn't," Stefan interjected quickly. We all stared at him, and he continued, "There's no proof that it was them, Jeremy. Can't believe everything you hear. I'm sure they're not killers, you'll be okay. They've probably already forgotten about you and moved on."

"I don't care," Jenna stood up. "Jeremy, you're not going anywhere without your sister for the next six months."

"Ha. Right," Jeremy scoffed, but I could tell at this moment he probably had hoped for that security.

"Can we stop talking about this?" Jenna suggested, "Let's eat lunch."


	6. Chapter 6

A week passed with no sight or sound of the gang. Everyone began to exhale, most of all the Salvatore brothers. Elena had been acting strange at school, so Stefan didn't see her much that week. He knew that she was going through a lot and he hoped that if nothing else this might rekindle her relationship with her little brother. As embarrassed as he acted, Jeremy allowed himself to be seen with her in the mornings and at lunch and he didn't hang around so much after school before getting in the car with her. In fact, he hadn't seen Jeremy with his old gang of boys much at all that week.

Damon didn't leave the house but Stefan caught him on two different occasions in his parent's old bedroom, rummaging through the closets. Whenever he asked him about it Damon just told him he wanted to "dig up old family cobwebs".

Damon's real intention in finding cobwebs was sparked by the comment that Jeremy had made in the car that night. This wasn't the first time that Damon had been accused of having a murderer for a father, but he couldn't find it in his heart to ever believe the rumors - although they were rampant and it was difficult to ignore. This time felt different, and he decided that he wanted to know once and for all.

He was already aware of the situation surrounding his father's death. It was years before the truth came out and when Damon learned what really happened, he wished he never had. It was much easier to believe the story that came out immediately after: that the boys' father had been a victim of a drive-by robbery. This wasn't such a stretch of the imagination considering the Salvatore patriarch was known to be one of the wealthiest men in the state, and the fact that his body was found without a single personal possession didn't hurt either. However, Damon possessed a newspaper clipping that was presented to him by a social worker at the group home when he turned fifteen that told the real story. For years, he fought back the urge to believe the rumors after he found out about the man who had killed his father, knowing his dad must have had some connection to the man. This man didn't kill for sport; he didn't kill for money; he killed because of betrayal. After years of reading the article over and over again, Damon finally put it away and vowed never to tell his brother the truth. The constant questions were almost too much for him to bear and he did not want Stefan to have to go through that as well.

Thinking back to his childhood, Damon recalled that he had absolutely no idea what his father did for a living, or where he spent all those nights (often weeks at a time) on the road. He knew he was a businessman, or that's what his mother had told him, but he never thought to ask what type of business it was. The closets revealed nothing, as he expected - nothing but old photo albums, Christmas cards and bills. He made a mental note that he never once found a check stub or any indication of where his father's money came from. There was certainly no paper trail and that worried him.

"Look at this, Stef," he came down the stairs and threw an old album onto the couch next to Stefan. "This is when we took you to the zoo for your second birthday."

Stefan had rarely seen pictures of his mom or dad besides the one that his brother gave him on his eighth birthday, although they had found a few laying around the house when they returned. He smiled and flipped through the album, Damon watched from the ottoman across from him. "She was somethin' else, huh?" Stefan sighed.

"That she was," Beginning to feel emotional, Damon went to the kitchen for a drink. Scotch was a preference he had inherited from his dad. All the years watching his dad with his small caramel glass; the drink that made him lose his inhibitions and dance across the living room floor with his mom to the radio; the drink that allowed him to put on a silly face and play charades with Damon on the weekends; the drink that he had in his hand on the rare occasion that he would allow Damon to stay up past bedtime to watch TV with him after returning from a long trip. Damon stood in the entrance of the kitchen, and he swore he could still see his parents gliding not so gracefully across the floor behind the couch. He slammed the drink and grabbed his car keys.

"I'm out, little brother. Don't wait up." And with that he was gone.

...

This was the first time I had been out of the house (besides school) all week. Typically we went to The Grille at least every other night during the week, but this week I had to keep an eye on Jeremy; despite his whining, I really didn't think he minded. Tonight, Caroline convinced us both to step out into the world again. "He has to break the ice, Elena!" She had said. Jeremy reluctantly agreed to come out with us, so we resumed our usual pool table at The Grille and began to catch up on this week's gossip.

Caroline was there with Tyler; or at least she thought she was. I wasn't entirely sure that he knew that, but he mostly played along whenever she would trace her hand down his arm and giggle fiercely at his jokes. I decided not to invite Stefan; I still didn't feel completely settled with his involvement last weekend, and I felt like I was missing something important. I fully intended to squash it on Monday and resume my conquest to have a normal, gratifying relationship with him. Tonight was just for me.

Everything felt like normal until Damon walked in the front door. He looked over at us, smiled awkwardly and headed towards his seat at the bar. The attractive blonde behind the bar had his scotch waiting for him by the time he reached her. I found myself watching him and my mind was consumed with questions about the mysterious, dark and handsome man that I worked so hard to block out of my head when he wasn't around. He was definitely not my type and never would be, so I didn't understand the strange way that I couldn't stop wanting to know more about him each time I saw him.

"Ugh, gross. Who let him in?" Caroline pretended to gag when she saw who had caught my attention and she quickly turned me away from him. "Are you sure you don't want to call Stefan? I know he's probably wondering what's up with you this week. You've been all... distant," she tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, her way of showing her affection and concern.

"No Care, tonight is for me. I'm still clearing my head from last weekend. I want to take it slow," I smiled reassuringly at her, and she shrugged and bounced back to Tyler at the pool table.

"Elena, your friends are lame. I can't take this anymore. I'm going to the bar," Jeremy pushed past me, heading towards Damon.

"Jer!" I called, but it was too late - my voice was drowned out by the music and he was approaching the seat next to Damon.

...

"Seat taken?" Damon looked up and found it hard to restrain his laugh.

"No," he answered, still smiling. "Have a seat."

Jeremy acted as tall as he could muster, pulling out a chair and sitting down, immediately turning to face the rest of the restaurant away from the bar.

"Heidi," Damon called with a tang of seduction in his voice, "Get my friend here a beer. Your choice."

The bartender eyed Jeremy suspiciously, knowing full well he was under age. She thought twice, gave Damon a smile and a wink and shoved a beer in Jeremy's direction.

"Thanks, man," Jeremy hadn't expected this, and he suddenly felt like the coolest guy in the bar.

Damon just shook his head and laughed, sipping on his scotch. "Decided to return to the scene of the crime?"

"Uh, yeah. Sister arrest," He confessed, embarrassed.

The two were quiet for a while. Damon drank quickly - this week had brought back a lot of things he had not thought about in a long time. He wasn't sure which was worse: thinking about Trey or thinking about his father. Right now it didn't matter; they were both in his head and they both didn't need to be.

Suddenly, Heidi leaned across the bar and rested her hand on Damon's wrist. "I get off at 11:30," she whispered.

Damon checked his watch - 10:45. "I guess I'll need another drink, then," he smiled at her.

Jeremy was captivated by Damon; deep down, he wanted to be Damon. Though he knew the guy had a traumatic life, at least he already had years to cope with the death of his parents and he was completely fine being on his own. Jeremy envied that most of all. Since his parents' death, all he wanted was to have that security that whenever shit got tough his parents would be there to bail him out. Now all he had was Elena, and although he knew she would always be there for him, he wished more than anything that she had someone who she could go to when life got too hard to deal with too. He knew he couldn't be that person yet, but he welcomed Stefan into her life hoping that maybe he could fill the void.

Of course, in this moment it was evident that Jeremy wished he had Damon's charm with the ladies as well. He was certain that came from years of being alone, developing a tough outer shell. He was hopeful that in a few years he would have developed that trait as well and that he could be the self-confident, smooth talker that Damon appeared to be.

"My friend Stephanie is meeting me here after work," Heidi added quietly, glancing over at Jeremy.

Damon laughed again; he could hardly believe that he was really sitting at a bar, drinking and playing wing man for a snot-nosed fifteen-year-old misfit; least of all, the same misfit that started all the sudden turmoil in his life a week ago. He had to admit, it was taking his mind off the situation at hand and a little excitement was just what he was after when he left the house tonight. "Drink up, kid," he nudged Jeremy's beer, "this may just be your lucky night."

Realizing what was going on, Jeremy picked up his beer and sipped it down as quickly as he could manage.

...

Klaus sat patiently in his truck, squinting his eyes so as not to miss anything. He and his new crony were scoping out the scene at The Grille, hoping that tonight would be the night he finally broke ground on his little investigation. All that he knew so far was that Trey had been in or near Mystic Falls the night he was killed. He didn't know why, although Trey had mentioned some nonsense story about visiting a girlfriend. None of the guys had ever heard mention of a girlfriend before, but Trey was always running around all over the state so no one thought much of it. When he turned up dead two weeks later, they knew it was no accident. Of course, having the reputation they had, he and his gang had been arrested on suspicion of murder and interrogated for days. Having nothing substantial once the alibis cleared, they were released and the case was ultimately put on hiatus. Klaus would not let it rest that easily. He knew that his family had several ties to this small town; he assumed one of them was ultimately the reason Trey was in Mystic Falls the night he died. Trey had always been secretive about his endeavors and was constantly stirring up trouble where they didn't need it. Although Klaus knew he had to avenge his half-brother's death, he wasn't terribly distraught knowing that now he had one less liability in the gang to worry about.

Over the past few months they had gotten in a few tiffs with the local punks from the high school. One such fight gave Klaus the brilliant idea to recruit a new local member; someone who knew the town and who could keep an eye out for anything that might lead him to Trey's killer. Of course, Matthew claimed he knew nothing about Trey - he said the town didn't even know that the death was tied to Mystic Falls in any way. All he knew was that a guy had been found in a river in a nearby town and all of their parents flipped out and shut the teen scene down for weeks. A sudden turn of events a week ago had led him to a new suspect, the Gilbert boy Jeremy. Matthew provided a back story, assuring Klaus that Jeremy was just a lost teen, struggling to cope with the death of his parents and that the reason he flipped out in the parking lot last week was that he couldn't control his temper - not because he had any personal vendetta against Klaus or his gang. He swore that the only issue Jeremy had was that the gang had taken his best friend from him when he needed him most, and calling him a 'bastard' on top of that was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Matthew felt terrible about leaving his friends behind, Jeremy most of all. Part of him became complacently smug when he was asked to join the gang, but he also knew that asking was only a formality - in reality, he couldn't have said no if he wanted to. He hoped that once they figured out that whoever they were looking for was not in his small town, he could return to his life and never see Klaus again. What he didn't know was that once you were in, you were in for life. He had already dropped out of school, much to the dismay of his mother and sister. They had given up on him years ago when he first began hanging out with the pack of troublemakers early on in high school, and they always feared it would reach the point of no return. Of course they had no idea that he had changed cliques from a group of troublemakers to a certified gang, but they knew that if Matthew were ever going to come back to them he would have to do it on his own.

"Hey, who's that with the kid?" Klaus leaned forward to get a better look, although he recognized no one in this town anyway and knew seeing the man's face would do him no good. He had no reason to believe that Matthew was lying to him about Jeremy being a scared little punk, but so far his search had turned nothing up and watching Jeremy was the only thing he had to go on. The tires and the dead animal were typical gang scare tactics to avenge his broken car window, but he had bigger fish to fry. After learning that the attractive brunette with Jeremy tonight was his sister, he did make a mental note that she might be a fun way to teach the kid a lesson about messing with other people's property, but he hadn't decided if he wanted to pursue the issue any further yet.

"Don't recognize him," Matthew answered casually, "Must be one of the Salvatores. Heard they were back in town."

Klaus' face lit up, eyebrows raised. He sunk back in his seat and smiled. "Interesting. Matthew, you just might prove useful yet," He looked over at Matthew, who had his lip raised in confusion but didn't seem to care much about whatever Klaus had just discovered.

Feeling more victorious than he had in weeks, Klaus drove away from The Grille to tell the others what he had learned.


	7. Chapter 7

"Elena, he's letting him drink beer in public!" Caroline put her hands on my shoulders to make me face the bar where Jeremy was sitting with Damon.

Sure enough, Jeremy had a beer in his hand and a smile on his face. As I watched, an older woman with dark shoulder-length hair approached the bar. She hugged the bartender over the top of the bar then took a seat next to Jeremy, immediately putting her hand around his lower back. My mouth flew open.

"Aren't you going to do something?!" Caroline squealed. "If you aren't, I will."

"Chill out," Tyler approached Caroline's right side and chuckled. "Let the kid have some fun. What's the worst that could happen? Crabs?" He laughed at his stupid joke, but effectively Caroline backed down from her high horse.

"He's right," I sighed, fearing that although there were worse things than crabs that could happen when my little brother hung around Damon Salvatore, there was nothing I could do to stop him.

A few minutes later as Jeremy, Damon and the two ladies from the bar walked past us towards the door I had to try anyway. "Jer," I grabbed his arm. The woman beside him let go of his other hand, gave me a look of utter disapproval and continued out the door with her friend. "What are you doing?" I tried to sound more concerned than mad.

"Having some fun. Maybe you should try it some time. What's the worst that could happen?" He yanked his arm from my grasp, flashed a smug smile and jogged to catch up with them in the parking lot. I watched as they drove away in Damon's car, a red VW Beetle following close behind.

I quickly took out my phone and called Stefan.

...

Stefan paced across the front porch, hoping that Damon's brilliant plan ended in the four new friends coming to their house. He feared that they may end up at an adult lounge or a strip club with his girlfriend's little brother, and that would be much more difficult to thwart than a supervised party in their home. Sure enough, two cars pulled into view around the corner. Stefan let out a sigh of relief and began to prepare himself for the inevitable pleading he was about to engage in.

From the second the girls got out of the car they were both hanging on Damon, his arm around each one and Jeremy trailing behind as they walked up to the front door. When Damon spotted Stefan standing there with his arms crossed he let go of the girls and smiled. "Baby brother!" he exclaimed loudly.

Noticing Stefan now, the girls looked at each other and raised their eyebrows. "You didn't tell us there would be anyone else here," the dark-haired girl spoke to Damon but was still looking directly at Stefan, a smile spread across her face. Stefan could see how uneasy Jeremy had become and he suddenly thought this might be easier than he imagined.

"Ladies, make yourself at home. Kid, keep them entertained for me. I'll be there in a minute," Damon winked at the blonde, slapped her on her butt and she giggled as the three went into the house.

"Really?" Stefan began.

"I've adopted a new little brother," Damon joked, "My old one is too good for me now. Unless... you'd like to keep Stephanie company, and we can call the kid a cab?" He nudged Stefan's shoulder.

A part of Stefan missed the days of two summers ago when this scene was not foreign to him. The only thing different then was that they were in Damon's apartment and Stefan had no inhibitions about one-night stands; he had picked that up from Damon, but started eventually to develop a guilty conscience whenever he noticed the regret in the poor girls' eyes the next morning. He knew deep down Damon knew better than to involve Stefan in these situations while he was just barely seventeen, but Damon had never pretended to be a good role model.

"Just like old times?" Damon continued, seeing that Stefan didn't decline immediately. There may still be hope for his little brother.

"Dae," Stefan sighed, "You know things are different now."

"Ah, right. _Elena_," he threw his hands up and rolled his eyes.

"Right, you know, the same girl who just called to tell me I needed to break up the party that was headed my way involving an older woman and her _fifteen-year-old_ brother?" Stefan could see Damon's eyes soften, but wasn't quite sure it was going to work.

"I didn't handcuff the kid and throw him in my car," he rationalized, "he has his own free will. He can leave if he chooses. The more for me," Damon smiled and ended the conversation by walking inside.

Stefan knew his only hope was talking some sense into Jeremy. When he got inside he saw that that might not be too hard to do. The girls were at the liquor cabinet and Jeremy was sitting awkwardly alone on the couch, looking like instant regret had set in. As Stefan made his way to the couch, he saw a flash of light shine through the windows behind him. He turned around and found that the light was coming from the headlights of a car that had pulled up to the front of the driveway. The car slowed, hugging the curb around the front of the house. It was too far away to see who was driving, but he knew instantly this wasn't a lost motorist. He looked at Damon to find that he had undoubtedly noticed the car and had been thinking the same thing. They stared at each other for a minute, not knowing what to think or say. The car had stopped at the foot of the driveway but was now beginning to pull away slowly.

Damon turned to his guests, "Party's over."

"What? You're kidding..." The blonde gasped.

"Not kidding, get out," Damon was shameless and unapologetic. He walked to the front door and held it open. Slowly, the girls collected their purses.

The blonde turned around as she exited the house. "Will I see you again...?" She asked hopefully.

"Sure," Damon faked a smile and closed the door, leaving the girl standing on the porch with her mouth wide open.

"What happened?" Jeremy was standing up now, looking out the window.

"Damon, you don't think...?" Stefan hesitated.

"I don't know, Stefan. We better fucking hope not," Damon responded.

"I'll take him home," Stefan gestured towards Jeremy, grabbing his keys.

"No," Damon pulled his own keys out of his pocket and opened the door again. "They're obviously not planning on coming inside. At least not tonight. You're not going anywhere," suddenly Damon shifted into protective older brother mode, "Call me if you see them again and stay inside. Let's go, kid."

...

I ran outside when I saw Damon's car pull into the driveway. It was after midnight now; Jenna was already asleep, having entrusted me for the evening with Jeremy's safekeeping. I didn't have the heart to wake her and tell her that I had come home alone.

Jeremy got out of the car and I quickly ran up to him and punched him in the shoulder. He laughed and rubbed the spot I had hit. "What the hell is wrong with you? You know how mad Jenna would be if she knew I lost you?" I whispered as loudly as I could.

"So don't tell her," Jeremy smiled and turned to Damon. "Thanks, man. I had fun. I hope everything is okay at home," he trailed off, getting quieter towards the end.

I looked curiously at Damon, who moved his eyes from Jeremy's to mine and back to Jeremy's, obviously flustered at the mention of trouble at home. "See ya, kid," he frowned, noticing that I intended to have words with him after Jeremy was inside. "Spare me the lecture. I know, I have a little brother too. He turned out just fine."

"He's fifteen, Damon. You're an adult, he's a kid. Stay away from him," I warned. "Stefan may have turned out 'just fine', but look at you - you're pathetic!" As soon as the words left my mouth, I tried to suck them back in. My rage showed no restraint, and I hadn't entirely meant that the way it sounded.

Damon looked like he had been hit with a ton of bricks. "You're right," he said quietly, and opened his car door.

"Damon, wait. I didn't mean-" I wanted to reach out and touch him to let him know how terrible I felt, but something stopped me. I knew I had messed up.

"No, Elena. You've made it perfectly clear. I'll stay away," he snapped back quickly.

I watched him drive away, a thousand things left to say but unable to find the words or the voice. I stood outside for a few minutes, staring down the street hating myself for chasing him away. All night I had thought that was what I had intended to do when I saw him, but I had forgotten the fact that face-to-face his emotions weren't so easily disguised and he really was just a lost boy, too.

...

Klaus paced in front of the window of the motel room. Matthew and Kol were sitting on the bed, Kol complaining once again about how incessantly bored he was and begging couldn't they please just go home and forget about this – Trey had it coming to him and he had taken up too much of their time already.

Klaus looked down at his phone as it finally started to buzz in his hand. "Shut up, Kol or I'll give you something to bitch about," he shot a threatening glare at his brother and answered the phone, "Well?…Excellent," he clicked the phone off and his curious expression turned to utter relief.

"It's true?" Kol sat up, suddenly excited at a potential prospect, "They're back?"

"I told you…" Matthew mumbled quietly.

Klaus shot him a look that said 'keep quiet if you know what's good for you' and replied, "Yes. They're back. Now we have to be smart about this," he continued, mostly to himself, "We can't rush into anything."

"If there's one thing we learned from your dad, Nik, it was not to do anything stupid before you knew for sure you were after the right guy," Kol warned cautiously. He had always been the rational one; he knew that any ripple in the water in this small town would cause a tremendous scene, and Klaus' indiscretion so far had made sure that everyone in town knew they were here already. Whatever he was planning to do would be traced back to them quickly and he didn't find any of it worth the hassle. However, he knew his brother well enough to realize that once his mind was made up about something there was no turning back. He had sworn his allegiance to his family long ago and stepping away now was simply not an option.

"I'm not an idiot," Klaus snapped through gritted teeth, "I said we would be smart about it. Since you're so in tuned to what needs to be done here, brother, you get to babysit the younger one. You can start by staying at the high school every day to watch him arrive and to watch him leave. Is that clear?" Kol bit his tongue and nodded just slightly. "Matthew, you and I are going to rekindle your friendship with Jeremy and his new friend."

...

I wasn't able to sleep more than three hours off and on for the next several days after my confrontation with Damon. I lay awake in bed, constantly replaying what I said and the look on his face. I knew what he had been through – how could I say that to him? Even if it were true it was not my place to judge him. After all, through all the bad decisions he had made and the situations he had gotten my brother into recently, he always returned him home to me safe and sound. In fact, Jeremy had been happier than I had seen him in a long time after his night out with Damon.

On top of my regret for the things I had said that night, I also could not stop thinking about the effect this might have on my relationship with Stefan. I knew I couldn't tell him what I had said to Damon; that was his brother's story to share, not mine. If he didn't want Stefan to know a girl had shamed him I didn't want to be the one to break it to him. Harder still was the fact that I had to push it all out of my head when I was with Stefan. I couldn't let him know who had really been consuming my thoughts at night, and I fought the urge to allow this to change the way I felt for Stefan in any way. As the days ticked on that week I made a constant effort to get things back to how they had been two weeks before, the night of the homecoming game when I felt things for Stefan I had never felt for any guy. Being around him every day made that a reality, and by the weekend I wanted nothing more than to spend every second with him. If nothing else, keeping my mind occupied with thoughts of Stefan allowed me to forget how terrible I felt about Damon and I welcomed the nights when sleep finally found me.

On Saturday, Jenna reluctantly agreed to her boyfriends' pleas to spend the night at his place. She had not had a night out for herself since she moved in over the summer and her relationship with her boyfriend of three years was on the rocks. This felt like perfect timing once again and I invited Stefan over.

Things moved quickly that night – from dinner to talking quietly on the couch, and finally up to my room. I was not sure if Stefan had much experience in bed with women; somehow that topic never came up. I also had not quite mentioned that I had never slept with anyone before, but the way that Stefan moved so quickly with me was actually a little flattering. I could not decide if I should tell him for fear that he might feel terrible for the pace at which things were escalating - and I certainly didn't want him to stop. As his hand traveled down to the clasp on my jeans, I finally pulled my lips away from his. "Stefan," I whispered as his lips moved to my neck, still working on unbuttoning my pants with his hand.

His eyes moved up to mine and he pulled away from my skin just to say, "Yea baby?" before regaining his path down my chest.

"I need to tell you something," I sighed, knowing this would absolutely ruin the mood.

Sensing my insecurity, his hand moved away from the zipper on my jeans and he sat up. "What's wrong?"

"I, um," this was harder to say than I had anticipated, and I immediately regretted halting our progress, "I've never… done this before," I finished in a whisper.

"Oh my god, Elena. I am such an idiot," he stood up on the side of the bed and walked to the other side to sit beside me, taking my hand. "Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have… I mean I didn't mean to assume…"

"Stop, Stefan. It's okay, really. I'm fine with this, I just thought you should know first," I could feel the color rising to my cheeks.

"No, it's not okay. This has to be special," he smiled and reached for a strand of hair that had fallen out of place on my cheek. "Not tonight. Let me plan it out, and I promise you it will be just as special as you've always imagined," He kissed my cheek and stood up, picking his shirt up off of the ground.

_This is exactly the way I imagined,_ I wanted to say but I felt like a child all of a sudden. I wished that he would have trusted me and allowed it to happen; I was ready, and I didn't appreciate the way he made me feel like I wasn't. For that reason I didn't stop him when he pulled his shirt back over his head and reached for his shoes.

After we were both fully clothed again I walked him to the front door. After a long hug he pulled away slowly and looked down at me, cupping my face in his hand. "Elena…" his eyes told me what he was about to say, but I wasn't ready for it and I wanted to pull away. Instead I stood frozen in place, staring up at him. "I think I'm in love with you."

The words sounded much more amazing than I had ever dreamed coming from his lips, and I felt my heart speed up and my insides turn warm. Still, I just stood there staring blankly at him. His face fell and he removed his hand from my cheek. "It's okay if you don't feel the same yet," he said quietly.

"It's not that- I," I had no response prepared. It's true; I wasn't ready to say those words yet. I believed it was true and I had been thinking about it for days, but I just wasn't ready to commit to the feeling.

"It's okay. I'm going to do this better next time around, I promise," he kissed my lips and said he would call me tomorrow, and I watched as the door closed behind him. Part of me wanted to throw open the door, run into his arms and tell him I loved him, too. I wanted to pull him back up to my room, rip his clothes off and show him just how much he really meant to me. But all I could do was stand there, and after a few minutes I went to bed alone.


	8. Chapter 8

Two weeks passed with no sight of either Jeremy or the oldest Salvatore. Klaus was beginning to get impatient; he wondered if somehow they had caught wind that they were being followed. Of course, Kol had nothing suspicious to report from the younger brother at the high school - except one interesting tidbit of information about whom the boy was dating, which somehow didn't surprise Klaus at all. It was peculiar to him how these two families were such a close-knit circle and he was determined to find out the connection between them.

It crossed Klaus' mind that his new recruit might be keeping the other parties informed, so he decided to put Matthew to the test. No one had been at the usual hangout since the night that Klaus discovered the Salvatore brothers were back in town, so he had to move his operation to more unfamiliar territory.

"Can't one of your brothers do this?" Matthew whined, but headed towards the door of Klaus' motel room all the same.

"Yes, Matthew. My adult brothers who have never been seen by anyone in this town can go gallivanting around in the parking lot of the high school, waiting to catch up with a boy who they've never met to find out his darkest secrets," Klaus' impatience allowed him no shred of remorse for the betrayal he was asking Matthew to commit. "All I'm asking you to do is talk to him. Find out what he knows and call me when you get something. If this doesn't work... well, you should really try your damnedest to make it work," he grinned, showing a full set of pearly whites.

Matthew knew that no good ever came from such a smile so he took that as his opportunity to leave.

He had not been back to the school since the week that school started - the week before he had gotten involved in Klaus' life. Turning into the parking lot intense feelings of nostalgia, shame and regret washed over him. _I could just leave,_ he thought,_ I could turn around right now, go home and pretend none of this ever happened. _Reality set in as he gripped his hands around the steering wheel of Klaus' truck and he pushed all of the unwelcome thoughts out of his mind. The sooner he got some information about the Salvatore brothers for Klaus, the sooner he would leave his friends alone and (hopefully) the sooner he would leave Mystic Falls for good.

He parked next to Elena's car in the lot and waited for the wave of students to flood out of the building. When school was finally released, he got out of the truck and leaned against the hood of her car, praying that Jeremy came out before anyone else who would recognize him. Luckily, Jeremy appeared to have no interest in idle chitchat like the rest of the students and he indeed was one of the first kids in the parking lot. He spotted Matthew from across the lot and sped up.

"What are you doing here? Where have you been?" He demanded immediately, sounding both hopeful and nervous all at once.

"I've been around," Matthew tried to smile but he knew his nerves were getting the best of him. "Hey, can we get out of here? I don't want to run into my sister," this part was definitely true; that was the last person he wanted to see. If he saw the look on his sister's face, he wasn't sure he would be able to stop himself from giving all this up for good and going home with her.

Jeremy looked over his shoulder and spotted Elena and Stefan. Elena had noticed him too and her mouth began to drop open in questioning shock. "Yeah, let's get go," Jeremy answered quickly, eyeing the truck next to them. He entered the passenger side of the truck while Matthew got into the driver's side and they pulled away with Elena in the rear view mirror, visibly upset. "Since when did you get a new truck?" Jeremy wondered out loud. He briefly imagined that this might be an initiation gift; as his mind wandered to what Matthew may have had to do to prove his allegiance in order to receive such a gift, he instantly regretted asking the question. Luckily, Matthew just shrugged and kept driving. Jeremy's phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He knew it would be his sister before he even looked, and immediately turned it off and stuck it into his school bag. Whatever was going on with Matthew was obviously more important and Elena would have to wait.

Matthew drove Jeremy to a small diner that the kids in town frequented after hours when all other establishments were closed. They went inside and sat in a corner booth. After their meals had been ordered and small talk had been initiated, Jeremy finally asked the burning question: "What's going on, Matt? Why were you waiting for me today? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine, dude," he tried to laugh it off, "I just wanted to catch up. It's been a while. I've been wondering what's going on with you since that night at The Grille..." he knew this would be a good direction to steer the conversation.

That seemed reason enough to Jeremy and he eased the tension in his shoulders. "Oh," he sighed, "Just in a pissy mood that night," he mumbled, embarrassed.

"That was really a dumb shit move, you know," Matthew lectured.

Jeremy looked up at his friend, briefly wondering if maybe this were some type of ploy; that Matthew had lured Jeremy away to a secluded location so that Klaus could get his revenge. Seeing the look of concern in Matthew's eyes, he softened up again. "I know, I fucked up. Are they still pissed?"

"Yes," Matthew answered quickly, "But they'll get over it. They have more important things to worry about," he answered, but realized quickly he was saying too much.

"Ah, yes. _Revenge_," Jeremy laughed, remembering he and Matthew's last conversation in the bathroom at The Grille. When Matthew didn't laugh back, he regained a serious expression and his heart sped up again. He suddenly became aware that he had been fighting feelings of dread since he laid eyes on Matthew in the parking lot, and maybe there was actually a reason he felt this way. Revenge for the broken window or not - something was off with his friend.

Matthew could tell instantly that Jeremy was getting suspicious, so he slouched down into the booth more casually and started picking at his fries, "So what's new? Any new hot chicks at school this year?" he smiled, lightening the mood.

Still cautious, Jeremy shook his head. "Nah, same old shit."

Matthew felt that he had beat around the bush long enough, and now was as good a time as ever to get right into it. "So what's this I hear about you hanging out with that new guy? The older guy I saw you with in the parking lot that night," he tried to remain as casual as possible, hoping that he was not being too obvious.

"Who, Damon?" Matthew's eyes shot up to Jeremy's quickly, then returned to his plate. "Just a cool guy to hang around with," Jeremy offered, not suspecting anything unusual about the question, "Friends are hard to come by these days." He realized two things about that comment: one, that it was a subconscious dig at Matthew; and two, that he had just referred to Damon Salvatore as a friend. He wasn't sure which amused him more.

"I hear he's got an interesting story," Matthew continued, hoping to set Jeremy up to relay some decent information.

"Yeah, rough childhood. His parents died and he grew up in foster care. They came back when his brother turned eighteen to take over the family estate," he explained, sensing that Matthew already knew what he was saying, "You know Elena is dating his brother."

Of course Matthew already knew this, but he feigned ignorance and raised his eyebrows. "Ha," was all he could manage to say without giving himself away. Jeremy would have expected Matthew to be at least a little heartbroken if nothing else by this news; it was common knowledge that Matthew had his sights set on Elena last year, when she was a Junior and he was a Sophomore. Elena was not too keen on the idea of dating a troublemaker like him, though, but this is eventually how Jeremy and Matthew came to be as close as they were. "So she does have a thing for bad boys."

"Bad boys?" Jeremy laughed. "Stefan is far from a 'bad boy'. He hangs out with all the jocks just like she does."

"Oh," Matthew had to try a new angle. "So I guess this Damon guy is a jock too, then?"

Jeremy laughed again, "Hardly. That's what I like about him - he does his own thing. Kind of has this brooding, deep-dark-secret thing going for him," Matthew's ears perked up, but Jeremy didn't elaborate any further. "So what about you?" He changed the subject, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the second degree.

"Klaus is cool," Matthew offered with a shrug, "It's nice to be on my own. Don't miss all the high school bullshit, that's for sure," But he and Jeremy both knew that wasn't entirely true. "I gotta pee," he announced and walked to the bathroom across the hall. Once inside, he pulled out his phone and called Klaus. "This isn't getting anywhere. He doesn't know anything," he shared, hoping that somehow Klaus would just leave it alone and let Jeremy be.

"Plan B," Klaus sighed into the phone, "I'm in the parking lot. Bring him to the truck."

Matthew tried to object but Klaus had hung up. He took a long glance at himself in the bathroom mirror - this is who he had become. He felt worse for what was about to happen than he had for any other petty act he'd committed since hanging out with the gang of brothers so far. Knowing there was nothing he could do, he returned to the table and asked for the check.

...

"This is absolutely insane, Stefan," Elena tried to speak calmly into the phone but it was obvious that she was beginning to lose her cool. "I told you we should have followed them when they left the school. It's after midnight and his phone has been off all night."

It was obviously that Stefan had already settled into bed and this angered her more than anything. "He'll be fine, babe. He has to figure this stuff out on his own. You can't be there to save him all the time. Besides, you have no idea what you're dealing with and I'm not taking you around hunting for a gang of idiots," What Elena didn't know was that Stefan knew more about this "gang of idiots" than she thought he did, and the last thing he wanted to do was roll up into their territory, handing himself over to them - he was sure this was exactly what they wanted.

What he feared more than his own safety was involving Elena in any way; once they found out that she had a connection to his family, they could use her as another way to get the revenge he was certain they were after. At first it was easy to ignore; but after the confrontations and the drive-by that night, he and Damon knew that they had been discovered one way or another and they had been laying low for weeks. As concerned as he might be for Jeremy's safety, he knew it was not his place (and definitely not Elena's) to intervene.

"I still think you should call the police, Elena. You don't need to get involved in this. Gang drama is bigger than you or I can deal with alone," he pleaded.

"I am _not_ letting Jenna find out what's going on, Stefan. She's been through enough with him this year," Elena protested, her voice rising slightly.

"Then just go to bed, babe. Get some sleep and we'll figure this out in the morning. He's a smart kid and Matthew is his friend. Klaus wouldn't have sent him to the school of all places to kick his ass; I'm sure he went there on his own will," Stefan reasoned, hoping that everything he was telling her was the truth.

...

"Fine," fuming, I hung up the phone and threw it onto the bed. I stood in my window watching for any sign of headlights in the street. Part of me agreed with Stefan - that it might be premature to be worried like this, especially knowing how Jeremy had disappeared for days at a time over the summer without answering his phone. Somehow this felt different and I could not let it rest. I picked up my phone again and called Caroline. "Care," I knew I had woken her up and that she would be worried, "I'm fine, don't worry. I just need Damon's number," I hoped that in her grogginess she wouldn't question the absurdness of my request.

"Elena?" she grumbled, "What's going on? It's like... 1:00 in the morning. Did Jeremy come home?" She questioned, beginning to wake up I could tell.

"No," I sighed, "I don't want an interrogation, Care. I just need you to give me Damon's number. Please." I hoped she could hear the urgency in my voice.

"Okay, fine. I'll text it to you," she sounded a little defensive. I thanked her and hung up, staring at my phone waiting for the text.

When it finally came I had to stare for a few more minutes, trying to decide if this was the right thing to do or not. My frustration got the best of me and I clicked on the number to dial. After the second ring I was directed to his voicemail. Not anticipating this, I tried to think of the best way to explain what I needed in a way that would convince him to return my call - keeping in mind our last confrontation and the fact that I knew he owed me absolutely nothing. "Hi Damon, it's Elena. Please don't tell Stefan I'm calling you… but I need your help. I know I don't deserve it after what I said to you, but it's about Jeremy. I think he's in trouble." Not able to think of a better way to end the call I clicked the phone off.

Less than a minute later the screen lit up with his number. I hadn't felt so relieved all night. "You called back," was the first thing I could think to say.

"I'm shocked too," he responded quickly, an undertone of sarcasm in his voice. "What's wrong?"

Ignoring the fact that he sounded bothered and uninterested, I banked on the idea that he actually did return my phone call so he must be ready to forgive me on some level - at least enough to help me. "Jeremy left with Matthew today and never came home," I began.

He stopped me instantly, "I know. What do you want me to do about it?"

A little taken aback by his interruption I stammered out, "I'd like you to help me find him."

Damon was quiet for a few seconds before he finally said, "And I'm guessing you've already tried this on Stefan?" I confirmed and waited for a response, my eyes closed in anticipation. This was my last hope. I knew I couldn't go out looking for my brother alone. "Now?" he asked quietly.

"Yes. Please," I added, feeling victorious.

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes." He hung up the phone and I pulled it away from my ear, staring into the flashing "call ended" screen. I had not expected that to be so easy and I couldn't begin to understand why he was so willing to help me, especially when Stefan wasn't. I didn't care in that moment; I dressed quickly and went outside to wait for him.


	9. Chapter 9

Damon had planned out a hundred different scenarios in his head on the drive over about how the conversation would go. None of them played out when she actually got into the car. Although he had wanted to give her as much of the cold shoulder as he could while still making her feel guilty for what she had said, seeing her in person for the first time since that night reminded him how much of an asshole he himself had felt since their conversation. The last thing he wanted was to come off as "pathetic" towards anyone, least of all her. Since they met (as brief and rocky as their interactions had been thus far) he had only wanted to help Elena - to make her feel comfortable and let her know that he understood what she was going through; that he would be there if she needed him. The events of the past several weeks had not quite been so conducive to that conversation so he vowed that it would be best for everyone if, like she asked, he just stay away. After all, she was right - nothing good followed where Damon walked and Stefan was the kind of guy she really needed in her life.

"Thank you," Elena said when she had settled into the car. She looked just as nervous and confused as Damon felt and he could not find any words. The truth of the matter was that hearing her voice on the phone had stirred up feelings inside of him that he had not felt in a long, long time; feelings that he told himself he would never let himself feel again, and for a girl who he had caused only pain since the day he met; for a girl who his brother was in love with, nonetheless.

He was still silent as he backed the car out of the driveway but finally broke the ice at the stop sign at the end of the street. "Where to?" he avoided looking at her, just stared ahead.

"I'm not sure," Elena felt like an idiot; she should have had a game plan.

Damon figured as much and started driving again, headed for the main strip of town where the restaurants and bars were. Fortunately for him, he had a pretty good idea of at least two different vehicles that Klaus might be driving - the Camaro (provided the window had been fixed) and the black sedan that drove by his house that night. Elena volunteered that Matthew didn't have a vehicle last time she checked so she was searching blindly.

After driving by Matthew's house twice and an hour of scalping the parking lot of every bar in town, Elena laid her head back against the headrest rather abruptly. "Stefan was right," she rolled her head towards the window in a last futile attempt at finding her needle of a brother in this haystack of a town, "This is pointless."

"You had to try," Damon defended, suddenly feeling guilty about betraying Stefan's trust by being here with Elena. "Want to call it a night?" He asked quietly, looking at her for the first time. She looked utterly distraught and he wished more than anything that he had some brilliant plan to find her brother for her. Truthfully, he had started to fear the worst and he wanted to protect her from what he was afraid might be happening to Jeremy. The worst part of all was that he had been wondering all day if somehow Klaus' gang had established some kind of connection between he and Jeremy and that Jeremy's disappearing act might have less to do with the car window he broke and more to do with Damon himself.

"We should have followed him," she mumbled to herself, suddenly sitting upright. "Damn it, why doesn't Stefan just trust me? Why does he think he needs to protect me? I'm never 'ready' enough for anything," she ranted.

Damon instantly felt awkward and didn't comment on her Stefan bashing. He sensed that this contempt had deeper roots than just today's events, but he had no intention of prying any further.

"You may make stupid decisions," she continued, looking at Damon now. He shot his eyes sideways at her in a way that said 'are we really going to do this again?' but she quickly continued, "but at least you recognize that I'm not a little kid. Maybe you do have a few things you could teach your brother."

She wasn't sure what provoked her to jump on this sudden bandwagon, but she felt it spiraling out of control and decided to stop before she said something she would regret - again. She still had no reason to trust that Damon wouldn't relay all of this information to Stefan. Secretly, part of her had hoped that maybe he would. That way she would never have to have this conversation with Stefan and maybe he really would start treating her like an adult.

She realized that Damon was heading towards her house and she felt completely defeated. Now not only had she lost her brother, but she had also put Stefan in a terrible situation and had allowed herself to become angry with him because of it. On top of everything else, she had betrayed Stefan's trust and now she would have to tell him. If he somehow did decide to forgive Elena would be one miracle - but she had also put a rift in between two brothers who only had each other, and she wasn't certain that Stefan would easily forgive his brother for severing that bond. Overcome with regret and dread for what tomorrow morning might bring, she made a quick decision to delay the inevitable for just a few more hours.

"Damon," she broke the awkward silence suddenly, causing him to slow down and look over at her, "I need you to do me one more favor."

...

I was not sure what had come over me; but it felt right, and for the first time all day I stopped thinking about everyone else and decided to live in the moment. Everything may change tomorrow, but at least I had tonight.

When Damon and I walked into the biker bar I instantly felt out of place. I sucked it up and made my way to a seat at the bar, Damon trailing behind me looking shocked, confused and torn. This was not the Damon I wanted to be spending time with at a bar at 2:30 AM on a Tuesday morning - I needed the Damon who had no feelings, no emotions and no regrets. I ordered two scotches and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Who knew you were such an alcoholic," he teased, and I could tell he had eased up, "Scotch on the rocks at nearly 3:00 in the morning? You might give me a run for my money."

"Well it seems to make your emotions disappear," I teased back, hoping that he wouldn't take that the wrong way. He continued smiling and clinked his glass against mine. I took a sip and fought the urge to spit it all over the bar. The bartender watched me carefully, knowing that I must not be of age but choosing not to care, most likely because there were only four other people in his bar and he was looking for a tip any way he could get it.

Each sip became easier to swallow, and by the time I was halfway finished with my second drink I no longer had any _What the hell am I doing? _thoughts cross my mind. Damon and I talked occasionally about random things; nothing important or relevant to the situation at hand, for which I was entirely grateful. We also avoided any topic that might evoke any type of emotion - parents, brothers, past mistakes. By 3:45, I was ready to stumble back to my bed and sleep - hopefully for the next 36 hours.

On the car ride home, the regret started to sneak back up and I knew I couldn't hold it down forever. The thought sobered me up quickly and by the time we pulled into my driveway I only had a minimal buzz.

"This was so much fun," I gushed. Not thinking clearly, I reached my hand over to the center console where his lay on the gear shift. I placed my hand around his wrist and he looked into my eyes, his smile fading to something not entirely comforting.

"Elena," he said quietly, attempting to casually move his hand to his lap; but I knew he was only trying to warn me.

"I had fun tonight, Damon," I continued, slightly offended by his assumption, "I see why Jeremy likes being around you. That's all." He had suddenly started to remind me of Stefan - the look in his eyes, the caution and the guarded emotion. It was beginning to make me angry all over again.

"I'm not who you think I am," he frowned and continued looking ahead, "I think we should pretend this never happened and you should go back to hating me."

"I never hated you!" I sat up and I could tell the alcohol and the emotions were getting to me. "I just didn't like you very much," I tried to smile, indicating this was slightly a joke.

His face remained unchanged. "I'm serious. Stefan can't know about tonight, Elena. I'm sorry we didn't find Jeremy - and thank you for allowing me to entertain you. But this is the first and last time. We can't be friends."

I felt like I was being dumped by a man who I was hardly even in favor of until the past few hours. This made me more angry than anything and I felt, again, like a child. "Everyone thinks they can just tell me what to do - when I should be out at night, who I should be friends with, when it's okay to have sex-" Damon looked over at me for a brief second then returned his gaze to the window. He was making me feel like some drunk little girl; but worse, if I were any other drunk girl he'd have taken full advantage of my inhibitions and had me in the back seat naked. But no, not me – all I was to these brothers was some sacred, breakable possession and at that moment I never wanted to see either one again.

"Can we talk about this later? When both of our heads are clear," he offered, realizing how angry he had made me.

"No! Give me one good reason why we can't be friends, Damon! Tell me why you know so much more than I do about who I should be around!" I crossed my arms and stared at him, forcing him to finally look at me.

"Because, Elena!" he suddenly became very defensive and turned to face me, leaning closer to me than he had been all night. "Because, damn it-" he sat back in his seat, still facing me but his eyes had softened, "Elena, I've killed someone."

...

_The boys had been back in town for about a week now; their uncle wanted to take Damon into town to show him where the bars and stores were, and Stefan decided to hang around the house to fix up his room._

_Trey's rental car was parked at the end of the street -just far enough away to remain unsuspicious but close enough that he could see two men leaving the house. After waiting five minutes to be sure they were not turning around, he pulled his car around the corner to the shoulder of the woods and began the short hike to the Salvatore backyard. It was just beginning to get dark and there were only a few lights on in the house. He took out his flashlight and shone it onto the lock on the backdoor, planning the tools he would need to break the latch. 'What the hell," he thought to himself, whispering just slightly into the silent summer air. He put his hand on the knob and turned, causing the door to open as if he were an invited guest. 'Idiots,' he smiled smugly, thinking this might be easier than he had imagined. Strange feelings came over him as he stepped inside the house – he remembered the man who had lived in this house, and although he was in most ways eternally grateful to him he had to take back what was rightfully his. He hoped that there would be no confrontation, no hold up and that he would be in and out in just enough time for the brothers to come home. So far so good; now where to begin?_

_He looked around the first floor with his flashlight, careful not to move anything from its place. As he started towards the stairs, he heard a noise coming from a far back corner. He froze in place and noted that light was pouring out of one of the open doors. _

_Stefan heard Trey just as Trey heard him. He had not had a good feeling about this large house since his return. He barely remembered bits and pieces of the estate from his childhood, but being here as an adult put into perspective just how large and (frankly) how creepy the house really was. He instinctively grabbed a baseball bat from a box on his bedroom floor and started for the stairs. _

_Trey quickly took several steps backwards, hiding just beside the bottom of the staircase. He removed his gun slowly and held it to his chest, cursing himself for his miscalculation and praying that whoever was in the house would not come down the stairs; that he could retreat quietly back out the door and execute a better plan for next time. _

_Stefan's heart was racing as he descended the stairs one by one, trying to duck to peak into the first floor with each lower step he reached. When he had made it to the 3__rd__ step from the bottom he started to think that he had only spooked himself, but he continued to the bottom nonetheless._

_As soon as the boy stepped onto the hardwood at the bottom of the stairs, Trey lunged forward with the butt of his gun and crashed it over the boy's head. Blood spilled out immediately and the boy hit the ground hard. Terrified, knowing now that since he had been caught this would be his only chance, Trey ran up the stairs and began ransacking the house._

_What felt like ten minutes to Trey in his stupor was in reality an hour, and Damon and his uncle pulled back into the driveway unnoticed by the intruder. Trey suddenly heard screaming from downstairs. His search had turned up nothing and he was crazed, angry and scared out of his mind. He knew this had suddenly turned into a show down and he began to think of all the ways that he could hide the evidence so that the trail would not lead back to him – at least this much he had learned from his older brother's father._

_Damon screamed when he opened the door and found Stefan laying at the bottom of the stairs in a pool of blood. He fell to his knees next to him and had no sooner begun to assess the damage than he saw a man appear at the top of the stairs. He had a gun pointed directly at Damon and was descending towards him. Damon stood up and backed away, hands held out by his sides. He ground his teeth in anger and his hands balled up into fists. _

_When Trey reached the body at the end of the stairs and began to contemplate if and when he would pull the trigger on the new man in the equation, another older man appeared at his side, gun pointed directly at his skull. Unthinking, he dropped his own gun. It hit the body of the boy on the floor below him and this, he could tell, unleashed a fury in the man standing across from him._

_Seeing that his uncle had subdued the intruder, Damon could not control himself – he lunged forward, threw the man to the ground next to his brother and began to beat the life out of him with his fists. His uncle attempted to pull him off of the man as he lay motionless below Damon's blows, but Damon was relentless and he could not stop. He thought that his man had killed his brother, and there was no punishment great enough to counter that. He finally began to slow his hands as he realized that there was not much of a face left on the man to beat, and he fell backwards against the wall, tears suddenly flowing uncontrollably. _

_The boys' uncle had begun attending to the younger Salvatore, and Damon could not suppress his relief as Stefan began to sit up. He embraced his brother and Stefan, beginning to realize what had just happened, stared at the dead man on the floor behind Damon and began to cry, too._


	10. Chapter 10

"We found his car down the road. Stefan and I drove the body two hours away and dumped it into a creek in the woods. My uncle took the car and left the state. Said he pushed it off a bridge into a river. Haven't seen him since." Damon finally looked up at Elena, wondering the whole time he spoke what in God's name had made him decide to confess this to her. He had never told anyone before - besides his brother and uncle, no one else knew who had really killed Trey. Once he had confessed what he had done, however, he knew he would need to explain and he truly hoped that he had gotten his point across - she needed to stay far, far away from him. Although he knew this might ruin things for Stefan, he was secretly relieved that she might be able to rid herself of both of the brothers for good and she could return to her normal, uneventful teenage life.

Tears were sliding down Elena's cheeks, but she was not scared. She looked confused, stunned and most of all sad. He didn't expect much of a response from her, but he knew he needed to leave and was not sure of an appropriate way to ask her to go inside. The sun would be coming up soon and Jenna would see them in the driveway. He knew that Elena had better things to worry about today and that she needed rest.

"I don't know what to say, Damon," she whispered finally. She wanted more than anything to touch him, to comfort him and at the same time she wanted to run far away and never look back at the Salvatore brothers again. "I should go."

"Yeah," he nodded and wiped a drop of sweat from his eyebrow, "You should."

Neither said another word and Elena got out of the car in a daze, still slightly intoxicated but mostly tired and mind blown. She walked inside her house, her whole world suddenly appearing different than ever before, went up to her room and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

...

Jeremy had started to become suspicious when Matthew quickly insisted they leave the diner. He got into the truck, but Matthew mumbled that he had forgotten something inside and left as soon as Jeremy's door was closed. The driver's side door opened immediately and Jeremy's eyes widened as he realized that Klaus was now sitting beside him. He quickly reached for the door handle, but he heard the click of the lock and Klaus' hand came down hard around his left wrist, holding him in place.

"Where are you going? I haven't even introduced myself yet," Klaus smiled, threw the truck into reverse and peeled out of the parking space.

Jeremy was vaguely aware that Matthew had moved into the backseat, and his first urge was to scream at his friend but his mouth was dry and he could not complete a thought. "Where are you taking me?" he asked meekly, his voice shaking along with his legs and hands. So this was about the car window, after all. He should have trusted his instinct.

"I just want to have a chat with you," Klaus was still smiling calmly.

They pulled into the motel parking lot and Jeremy's door flew open; a strong arm gripped down on his bicep and yanked him from the truck. He was pushed up the stairs to the second floor entrance. Once inside the room he noticed that there were two other men there besides Klaus and Matthew and he braced for sudden impact. He was released and thrown onto the bed, where he sat and looked at the straight faces of all the intimidating men in the room around him.

"Sorry about that," Klaus took a seat next to him on the bed and patted his knee, "I didn't mean to scare you, but I have a feeling you wouldn't have come willingly," he explained, trying to find warmth in his expression.

"Dude, I'm sorry about your window. I'll pay you back, I swear just please don't kill me," Jeremy spat out quickly, scooting away from Klaus instinctively.

Klaus laughed hard for a good minute. The other men in the room chuckled as well, but Matthew stood by the door with a frown, his eyes pleading for Jeremy to forgive him. "I told you I just wanted to chat," Klaus answered finally.

"About what?" Jeremy asked cautiously. A new fear overcame his thoughts; maybe this is how Matthew got suckered into the gang. Were they going to make him join as well?

"Your friend," Klaus began, "What's his name? Damon?"

Jeremy's eyes moved to Klaus' quickly and he couldn't possibly be more confused. That was the last person he had expected to be talking about with these guys and he instantly began to recall every conversation he had ever had with Damon for some hint of explanation. "What about him?" he asked quietly.

"You tell me," Klaus stood up, "I want to know everything you know."

Confused, Jeremy tried to tell Klaus that he knew nothing about either Salvatore brother. When Klaus called him out on his lie, stating that he at least knew that the younger brother spent a great deal of time at his house, Jeremy began to get scared for Elena and he spilled all that he knew about the family.

Satisfied that at least the boy was telling the truth but frustrated that, like Matthew had said, Jeremy really did know nothing of interest Klaus walked to the window to think of a new plan. "Well," he said finally, "I guess we'll have to do this the old fashioned way. We'll make the truth come to us."

...

"Elena, what's wrong with you?" Jenna stood over me, poking and shaking me from above. "You're going to be late for school!"

"I'm not going," I mumbled, barely able to keep my eyes open. I glanced the clock - 6:45. I had only been home for a couple hours and I needed at least ten more hours of sleep. "I don't feel well," I turned my back to Jenna, hoping she would take the hint and leave.

"Where is Jeremy? Did he even come home last night? And why are you wearing your jeans in bed?" She was putting the pieces together and I knew I had to intervene.

"I think he slept at a friend's house," I lied quickly, "I went out with Stefan last night after you went to bed. Sorry. Can I please just stay home today?" I knew that I could do whatever I pleased, but I wanted Jenna to feel like she had some type of authority over my life.

She sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "Fine, but I'm leaving. I have to be at work in ten minutes," Clearly frustrated she left my room, letting the door close behind her.

I lay there for a few minutes before fading back out of consciousness. The next time I awoke was to a car door slamming in the driveway. I sat up startled and caught the time - 12:17. I ran to the window and looked out, holding my breath. I exhaled with relief, "Jeremy!" I squealed and ran down the stairs, threw open the door and jumped into his arms in the driveway, nearly knocking him to the ground.

"Wow, sis, what gives?" He forced a smile but I could tell he was exhausted and emotionally drained.

Now that I had him back, my protective instinct immediately took over and I slapped his arm. "Why do you do this to me?" I yelled, "I was worried sick!"

"I see that," he stepped back eying my ensemble, hair and lack of makeup. I knew I had to look and smell like death, and remembering the events of the night before I wanted to divert the attention away from myself again. "Where were you?" I spoke softly now, knowing that there was a good chance he wouldn't tell me anything about where he had been.

"With Matt," he answered shortly, walking past me into the house. "We just needed some bro time," he headed straight to the kitchen and started making himself a bowl of cereal. "What's with you? Why are you home and why do you smell like booze?"

"Long story," I realized now why Jeremy was always so short with me when I prodded into his personal life and I took that as a cue to stop the interrogation. I went upstairs to shower, then dressed again and laid down on top of my covers.

I knew I would have to dissect last night's events in my head and I figured I would go ahead and start working everything out. The first thing I thought of was Stefan. Everything else aside, I had betrayed his trust by calling Damon in the first place. Not only that, but I spent the entire night with his brother getting drunk and learning things that I'm sure Stefan would have wanted to tell me about himself had he been given the chance. Shockingly, I did not think any less of Stefan after what I had learned and I had no intention of letting that get in the way of our relationship. In fact, it had the opposite effect - I wanted somehow to tell him to forget the details, but that I knew what happened to him last summer and I needed him to allow me to be there for him. As my mind began to wander to how scared Stefan must have felt the night of the burglary, I shifted my focus to Damon and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of emotion when I recalled what he had done for his brother. I shook the thought out of my head as I rationalized that my first instincts about Damon were correct - he was trouble, more trouble than I had ever imagined and I had allowed myself to fall for his charm. Still, there was a reason that I had called Damon last night; a reason that I had allowed myself to go out with him in the wee hours of the morning; and a reason that he felt compelled to trust me with his deepest, darkest secret. For that alone I knew I could not ever go back to hating him again, no matter how hard I tried.

Realizing that I had been out of touch with civilization for far too many hours, I checked my phone on the nightstand. Seven missed calls, fifteen text messages. Caroline, Stefan and a couple other friends from school - but nothing from Damon. I didn't understand why this made me feel a sudden emptiness, but I didn't care to dwell on it and convinced myself that it was for the best. For once Damon was doing the right thing and I needed more than anything to respect that.

I must have started five different texts to Stefan but ended up erasing them all. I couldn't say what I wanted to say over the phone; so I settled with "Can I meet you at your house after school?" and hit "send".

Almost immediately he responded, "Yes. What's wrong"

"Nothing wrong." I typed quickly, "Just miss you. Want to talk."

He asked about Jeremy and I told him that he had come home and that no, I had no idea where he had been but everything seemed fine and that yes, he had been right after all.

I waited around for the next couple of hours and then began the drive to the Salvatore estate. I chose here to spill the beans to Stefan; that way if he decided to take out any frustration on Damon, I would be there to talk sense into him and hopefully play mediator. When I arrived, Damon's car was the only one in the driveway. My heart sunk as I realized how difficult it would be to see him after everything that had happened last night and I fought the urge to go inside to warn him what I was about to do.

Just as I had talked myself into staying put in the driveway until Stefan got home, a knock on the glass startled me and I nearly screamed. Damon was standing at my window, frowning and requesting that I open the door. I settled for rolling down the window, completely unsure of what to say.

"Waiting for Stefan?" he began nervously, avoiding eye contact as much as possible.

He was looking down at his feet, kicking imaginary rocks on the pavement with his hands shoved deep inside his pockets. I had never seen him look so vulnerable and for the first time I allowed myself to admit that I was insanely attracted to this man. "Yes," I gulped, pushing the thought from my head. I looked down into my own lap and fessed up, "I'm going to tell him, Damon."

"I figured as much," he let out a snarky chuckle and a heavy sigh, "I guess I can't persuade you to omit certain tidbits of information?" he tried, knowing what my answer would be already.

I looked up at him, caught his eye and shook my head just slightly. I wanted to tell him without saying a word that I was sorry and that I wanted him to understand why I had to do this. His eyes didn't leave mine and I truly believed that maybe he had understood.

The sound of rocks crackling beneath tires caused us both to jolt a little, and Damon backed away from my car quickly as Stefan pulled in next to me. The look on Stefan's face was one of utter confusion and concern when he got out of the car, his eyes moving from Damon to me. I got out to meet him in the driveway and threw my arms around his neck, leaning up for a kiss. My lips touched his but there was no reciprocation and I knew that he knew something was going on. Damon had walked to his car and I heard the door close loudly. I watched out of the corner my eye as he backed up quickly down the driveway, squealing his tires as he peeled off down the street.

"_Missed me_?" Stefan began, pushing me away at arm's length, "_Wanted to talk_, huh?" I could tell he had begun assuming the worst and I mentally cursed Damon for making such a scene.

"Stefan, calm down! It's not what you think," I forced a smile and took his hand. He reluctantly softened his expression and held my hand back. "Let's go inside."


	11. Chapter 11

Damon's phone rang an hour after he had left his house. He glanced down at the screen sitting on the bar, saw that it was Stefan and pushed ignore. He wasn't ready to deal with this yet. The phone rang again and he decided to turn it to silent and let it ring. Twenty minutes later he had twenty-three missed calls and four voice messages. Curious to hear his brother's reaction, he began listening to the messages.

"You fucking idiot," The first one began, "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you really hate me so much that you feel the need to ruin everything good that ever happens to me?" That one hurt, causing Damon to pull the phone away from his ear as if he had been stabbed with a knife to the head through the earpiece. He deleted the message before listening to the rest and began the next: "And another thing - what gives you the right to take my girlfriend out after midnight, planning to lead her right into the arms of a fucking gang? What ever happened to bro code, dude? You're such an asshole." The beep indicated that the message was over. The third message was much of the same - accusing Damon of involving Elena in their stupid mistake and now what happens if the secret is too much for her? He had put her in a terrible position - how could he be so selfish? The final message was received ten minutes after the first three: "Damon... I'm not mad at you, I'm just upset about the whole situation. And confused. Can we please just talk about this like adults? Come home, man."

Damon knew Stefan would lighten up eventually and he mentally applauded himself for making the decision to leave so that Stefan could work out his anger on his own. He finished his drink, paid his tab and stood up to leave. As he grabbed his cell phone off the bar, it lit up with Elena's name and number. He stared at the screen, contemplating whether or not he should answer. Maybe she was with Stefan, and how shitty would that make him look to answer her call and not his brother's? On the other hand, why would she be calling Damon if she were with Stefan? She wasn't exactly innocent in this situation and that wouldn't help her case either.

"Hello?" he answered, feigning ignorance about who was on the other end. She didn't need to know he had saved her number and she certainly didn't need to know that he answered deliberately to hear her voice.

"Hey, it's Elena," she began softly, "I just wanted to apologize for telling Stefan. I know he's pissed... I mean I knew he would be mad, but I didn't know he'd be _that_ mad," she spoke quickly, her voice guilt-ridden.

"He'll get over it," Damon hoped this much was true. "How did he react to you?" he pried, knowing his brother well enough to know that staying mad at a girl was never his strong suit.

"He was upset. Said he wished he would have just taken me when I asked and started blaming himself," she explained and Damon was less than surprised, "He said he needed some time alone but promised me that we would be fine."

"Oh," Damon couldn't decide how he felt about that news. He secretly hoped Stefan had chased her away; that if she really did intend to stay in the brothers' lives knowing what she knew now, maybe Stefan wouldn't want her anymore and he could try his hand. He knew this was a pipe dream and shouldn't have been surprised at her account. "Good news."

"Yeah..." Elena trailed off, "Are you okay? I mean, are you going to be okay?"

He could tell that was a loaded question, but settled with: "I always am," before telling her that he had to go and he'd "see her around". He hung up the phone feeling worse than he had all day and started home to get the next confrontation over with.

...

Jeremy lay on his bed, throwing a rolled up pair of socks into the air and catching them again before they hit his chest. He had been in his room all day trying to figure out what to make of what had happened in the past 24 hours.

After Klaus had discovered that Jeremy truly didn't know Damon as well as he'd hoped, he told Jeremy a story that nearly caused his jaw to dislocate as it hung open in surprise. The brothers had reason to believe that Damon or Stefan had killed their brother Trey last summer, and they had a convincing back-story to prove it. Jeremy had not heard either Damon or Stefan mention anything about the man who killed their father, least of all that he might have a connection to the death of Trey; he still was not quite convinced that the Salvatore brothers themselves even knew a connection existed. Klaus spoke to Jeremy as if he were a life-long friend, explaining the details of his family tree. By the end of the story, Jeremy felt sympathetic and confused.

The way that Klaus narrated the story with so much compassion for his family and for finding the truth made Jeremy view him and his gang in a completely different light. Before he had thought that they were just a small, mostly ineffective but definitely intimidating crime ring – now he knew that in reality they were just a close family, seeking revenge for the terrible thing that had happened to one of their own. Jeremy liked to believe that if his parents' death had not been an accident, he would stop at nothing to avenge their honor as well. For this reason he had begun to understand what was so appealing to Matthew about joining them on their mission. Klaus had treated Jeremy like an adult, entrusting him with dark family secrets and expecting him to pull through on the other end to ultimately help them solve this little mystery. No one had ever treated him that way before and he felt a surge of power after all was said and done that night.

The most difficult thing for Jeremy to grasp in all of this is that the first two people to come to his family's rescue after their catastrophic summer were two men who might very well be murderers. It angered him immensely to think that his sister was spending all of her time with a man who might be capable of taking a human life – especially when he of all people knew just how precious life was. He was also disappointed in himself for letting a friendship blossom with Damon for the same reason. Whether Klaus' suspicions were accurate or not, Jeremy made a personal vow to find out the truth about the Salvatore brothers so that his sister would be safe one way or the other. It was not difficult for him to agree when Klaus asked him to get more personal with the brothers. He knew it would take time and so did Klaus; but one way or another, he was going to find out the truth.

...

Several weeks passed and things appeared to be getting back to normal in my life. Stefan and I resumed our relationship as if nothing had happened; Jeremy was gone most nights and occasionally missed school, but he always came home; and I saw Damon at The Grille a couple times the first week but he eventually stopped coming around altogether. I noticed on a drive home one night that his car was parked outside of the biker bar we had visited that night. I made an effort to check every time I passed the bar after that, and more often than not his car was there. It eased my mind to know that he had been able to resume his old habits as well. Still, I wanted so badly to call him and check on him – so much so that I nearly did on many different occasions, but I hung up before he would have even realized the call was coming through. I had also typed and erased a few texts messages to him; but I knew that it would not be fair to Stefan for me to show any type of concern for his brother after we had both already betrayed his trust that night, so I worked hard to forget that I cared.

One night about three weeks after the night I spent with Damon, I looked at the bar as I passed on my way home from Stefan's passenger seat. I saw Jeremy standing out front smoking a cigarette, talking on his cell phone. I immediately sat up and turned my entire body around to confirm what I had seen.

"What?" Stefan asked, looking in the rear view mirror himself.

"I swear I just saw Jeremy at that bar," I sat back down, head spinning.

"Isn't that where you and-" Stefan began, but I knew where he was going and I wanted to derail that train.

"Yes," I interrupted, "So that's where he's been every night? With Damon again?" I reverted back to the conversation that Damon and I had in my driveway the night he had brought Jeremy back to my house and anger started to boil inside me. I had specifically asked him to stay away from Jeremy. But, I rationalized internally, a lot had happened since that night and although I should have been more cautious knowing what I knew now, I was actually much more at ease. Yes, Damon had killed a man. But he did it out of love for his brother, and quite frankly I couldn't imagine a better role model for my little brother to be around. I sighed as I walked myself through the emotions in my head. "I'm sure it's nothing," I assured myself out loud, mostly to let Stefan know that I wasn't too worried.

Stefan pulled up to my house a few minutes later and put the car into park. He leaned over to kiss me goodnight, as per usual, but this kiss lingered much longer than normal. I could feel the heat rising all over my body and I melted into his lips, pulling him closer. He pulled away after a few minutes leaving me nearly panting. "See you tomorrow night," he whispered with a sly smile. He knew exactly what he was doing. It had worked and I was definitely left wanting more. I began to get excited at the prospect of tomorrow night and wanted it to get here as quickly as possible.

Once in my room, I began rummaging through my closet for the perfect outfit. This was it. It was finally going to happen and everything had to be perfect. Stefan had invited me to his house Saturday night, claiming that he had the perfect night planned out and that it was finally time to do this the right way. At first I was hesitant about the environment, but he promised me that Damon would not be home and we would have the house to ourselves. Planning this still seemed a little silly and juvenile to me and it made me almost more nervous than excited - but I had been ready for a long time and I could not wait to take our relationship to the next level, no matter how silly the circumstance.

...

"He won't tell me anything," Jeremy spoke quietly into the phone and took a long drag of his cigarette. He had unfortunately taken to the habit rather routinely over the past couple of weeks as the stress of his investigation started to get to him. He felt terrible suspecting anyone of such a heinous crime, let alone his sister's boyfriend's family. He had avoided Stefan at all costs whenever he came around the house - mainly to quell his anger that Stefan might be touching his sister with metaphorical blood on his hands. He was also starting to feel bad for lying to Damon to gain his trust over the past few weeks. He had turned up nothing consequential about Trey's murder and he was starting to wonder if Klaus had made the entire story up. Then again, what other reason would he have to blame the brothers for Trey's death? He was so torn that he had begun to get angry with everyone who crossed his path, most of all Klaus.

"It's been three weeks," Klaus tried to remain calm, knowing that Jeremy was his best bet at finding any answers right now and he couldn't do anything stupid to chase him away - at least not until he was finished with him. "How much longer do you need?"

"Man I just told you. He's not saying anything about Trey and he won't talk to me about his dad. I don't think it's time I need. We need another plan," Jeremy looked behind him to make sure that Damon was still situated at the bar unsuspecting.

"_We_ need nothing - _you _need to figure something out or _I'll_ be taking matters into my own hands. All bets will be off," Klaus threatened.

Jeremy was afraid that the 'bet' that Klaus was referring to might have something to do with involving his sister, so he backtracked quickly. "Two more weeks," he whispered.

"Two weeks. Then it's my turn."

Jeremy hung up the phone, flicked his cigarette onto the pavement and returned inside.

"That's a disgusting habit," Damon said casually as Jeremy returned to his seat.

"So is that," Jeremy eyed Damon's drink with a teasing smile.

"Touché," he raised his glass in Jeremy's direction before taking a long swig.

Damon had wondered for the past few weeks why Jeremy had decided to start hanging around again. He knew that Elena would be thoroughly pissed if she found out so he made a valiant effort to not make any decisions involving her little brother this time - no ordering drinks, no introducing him to girls and certainly no small road trips in the car. He continued to frequent the bar of his choice and who chose to sit next to him was of no concern to him. The fact that it happened to be Jeremy was inconsequential. He did, however feel some pull to help the boy when Jeremy informed him that he was going through a rough patch and needed a friend. For this reason he did not protest when Jeremy talked his ear off for hours on end, and he was beginning to feel that perhaps he had found a friend in an unlikely form.

"Thanks for letting me hang around the past couple of weeks, man," Jeremy said quietly to Damon. Damon just nodded and smiled sideways, making eye contact for a brief second to let Jeremy know he acknowledged his statement. "I just feel like you understand what I'm going through better than anyone else," he continued, then let that resonate for a few seconds before adding, "You never talk about your parents. Might help me understand what you went through if you tell me what happened," he looked away from Damon, fearing that he might snap on him for being so pushy.

Instead, Damon finished off his drink and slid it across the bar. "My situation is a little different than yours," he let out a suppressed laugh and signaled to the bartender for another drink. This would be his fourth one tonight and he felt that he might reach the double digits before the night was over at this rate. "My dad was killed," he looked down at Jeremy in a way that a protective older brother would look at his younger sibling and continued, "I was there. I couldn't save him," he hoped by telling Jeremy a little about his story that Jeremy would realize that people had survived worse tragedies and he would be fine one day.

"Shit," Jeremy exhaled, realizing he had been holding his breath. Of course this news did not come as a shock to him; so far the story matched up perfectly to what Klaus had told him that night, but the response was geared from his reaction to finally getting Damon to talk about what happened; luckily it was an appropriate comment to Damon's confession.

"Yeah, _shit_," Damon laughed again and added, "My mom killed herself afterwards. She had been depressed for years - dad would come and go as he pleased and she thought he was cheating on her the whole time. When he died she couldn't take it anymore," Damon was starting to enter a dazed reality, not quite intending to allow Jeremy so much insight into his soul but also not able to stop himself from talking about the one thing he hadn't talked about ever before and truly needed to get out.

"Did they catch the guy?" Jeremy reverted back to his father's accident, hoping he was not being too obvious.

"Yeah," The question caused Damon to snap back to reality. He realized that if he went into any more detail he would have to answer questions about how his dad was connected to a gangster - questions that he did not even know the answer to but had contemplated for years. Right now he was saying too much; Stefan did not even know the true story about the man that killed his father and he sure as hell wasn't about to make his first confession to this kid. "You ask too many questions, kid," he forced a smile and took cash out of his wallet to pay the bartender. "I'm gonna call it a night. You need a ride?" He had asked Jeremy this every night when they parted even though he knew the response Jeremy would give each time.

"Nah, I'm good," feeling disappointed but at the same time slightly validated at the ounce of progress he had made, Jeremy picked up his phone and texted Matthew to come get him.

"See ya later, kid," Damon patted Jeremy's shoulder as he passed and exited the bar, suddenly emotionally exhausted and slightly depressed. Drinking was only making things worse tonight so in the long run he opted for sleep to shut down the pain.


	12. Chapter 12

After several different attempts at finding the appropriate outfit to wear for tonight's occasion, Stefan settled on a casual look no different than he would wear on any other date. He already suspected that Elena was unhappy about planning the night she would lose her virginity and he did not want to make this any cheesier than it needed to be. In reality, he had been nervous about this day all week. He wanted this to be everything she had ever dreamed of and he had never had that much pressure with any other girl he had been with before. In a way, he felt like this would be a first for him as well - the first time he actually made love to a woman instead of the somewhat meaningless sex he was used to.

He knew that he was not the greatest cook so he decided on pasta and bread. This would be quick and easy and it was also pretty difficult to screw up. He had found an old bottle of wine in the basement and bought just enough candles to set the mood, but not set the house on fire. The air outside was beginning to get chilly and he had turned on the fireplace in the living room. The only unplanned variable in the equation was his brother. Damon had spent nearly every Saturday night out for the past several weeks and he assumed tonight would be no different, but he did not feel comfortable explaining the situation to him so all he could do was hope that Damon took the hint.

Of course, Damon realized quickly what was going on when he came downstairs to check on the strange smells emanating from the kitchen. "Wow," he couldn't control his laughter. "I hope you plan on killing that wine before you eat so she doesn't realize what a shitty cook you are," Damon jested. He immediately began to feel uncomfortable and, although after last night he had not been completely sure that he was going to go out again tonight, he took out his phone to see if any of his female friends were available.

Stefan ignored his brother's comment and kept cooking. "She'll be here any minute," he stated, half as a warning to Damon that he should probably get going.

"Well don't let me stand in the way of your shameless ploy to get in a girl's panties," Damon held his hands up in a defensive stance and backed out of the kitchen. "You know a simple 'hey baby, let's fuck' usually works just as well," he called behind him as he slipped his shoes on by the front door.

"I'll let you stick with that line," Stefan responded with a hint of a smile in his voice.

Damon wished his brother luck (although secretly hoping that the food did act as a deal breaker to spare himself from having to think about Elena sleeping with Stefan) and walked out the front door. As soon as he started forward down the steps Elena came around the corner, hugging her sweater to her body. She stopped abruptly when she saw Damon, obviously not expecting to run into him tonight.

"Oh, hey," she felt like an idiot all of a sudden; surely Damon knew the plan for the evening and she had a feeling that he had never participated in an intimate, thought-out sexual experience like this before.

"Hey back," he smiled at her politely. Inside he felt the sting of a hundred tiny daggers coursing through his veins; he had not spoken to Elena directly since their last phone call and he had wanted to so badly that it nearly got the best of him on several different occasions. One night he actually drove by her house on a whim; her bedroom light was on and he nearly stopped the car. Thinking twice, he kept his foot on the gas and drove away without looking back. He had a million things left to say to her. Mostly he wondered if she had been thinking about him as much as he had about her. As much as he wanted to know the answer to his question, the fear that he might receive an unfavorable response was worse than the uncertainty of not knowing.

He resumed his path to the car, adding as happily as he could muster, "Have fun!" He meant that in a slightly sarcastic and undermining way, for selfish reasons of course - he did know that Elena had a soft spot for being treated like a child, and whether Stefan knew it or not it was slightly childish to hold sex above a girl's head and assume that what she really wanted was Italian food, expensive wine and cheesy candles. He had no idea that this would be Elena's first time; he thought that his brother was just a hopeless romantic with his heart set on impressing his lady old school style.

"Damon, wait," Elena turned around quickly and Damon froze in place. He briefly imagined her confessing her mutual attraction to him and what he might do in the event it did happen, but was brought back to reality when she quietly said, "I know you've been hanging out with Jeremy again," He sighed and rolled his eyes back into his head, still facing away from her so she could not read the emotion on his face. "I'm not mad," she added quickly, hearing the sigh, "I just wanted to find out how he's doing. He's been so distant lately, more than normal even," she tried to laugh to lighten the mood but it came out sounding nervous and high-pitched.

"Seems fine to me," Damon finally turned back towards Elena, whipped on his famous charming smile and continued, "Don't worry - He's not drinking or hanging around mysterious older women. He has taken up smoking, though. Really gross habit," he shivered, "He shows up and leaves in a black truck every time," he added, feeling that she might appreciate this information.

"That's Matthew's, apparently," she felt incredibly awkward and wished she had never stopped Damon from getting into his car. For some reason she did not want him to leave now and she tried to think of something else to say to keep him there even just a minute longer.

"Alright, well," Damon backed away, raising his eyebrows, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do," he raised his hand in an awkward farewell salute and picked up the pace to his car, hoping she didn't notice how strange he was acting around her.

...

I watched Damon back out of the driveway and stood on the front porch for a minute to regain my composure. Suddenly seeing him again had brought back all of the feelings I had been suppressing for weeks - the urge to talk to him, to find out more about what he had done and how it had effected the emotions that he kept so guarded. Most of all I had wanted to tell him that it was okay that he had done what he did and that I wanted to be the person he could open up to about everything; I wanted to be the person to make all of the pain go away.

Walking into the house, I felt as if everything had changed and I had nearly forgotten about the main event of the evening. A delicious aroma hit me as I entered the foyer, and Stefan came out of the kitchen to greet me. Without saying a word he pulled me close and kissed me deeply. "Hey baby," he pulled away and hugged me tightly, "Hungry?"

All I could do was smile and nod. I began to make a mental effort to forget that I had just seen Damon, to stop thinking about where he was going and what he was doing and to concentrate on my boyfriend who had gone out of his way to make tonight special for me.

After dinner we took our wine into the living room and sat on the blanket that he had laid out in front of the fireplace. The lights were dim and candles flickered from around the room. This could have been a scene from a romance novel and I was thoroughly impressed. Stefan wasted no time in getting started. He laid me down gently onto the blanket and hovered over me, his lips moving from my lips to my cheeks, my neck and my shoulders. He started to grip the hem of my shirt around my naval and pull it upwards, but I instinctively put my hands on his and pushed them back down.

"Am I moving too fast?" he asked quickly.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes - he always assumed that my inexperience was the issue. "No!" I answered a little too abruptly, "I just... I don't know. Something doesn't feel right," I was being completely honest but I had no intention of letting him know my suspicion about why this felt strange all of a sudden. "I think maybe... Maybe there's too much pressure?" I offered, knowing this most likely was not what caused me to push him away, "Maybe because we planned it like this..." I trailed off, not wanting to hurt his feelings. He truly had worked so hard and I was very grateful. I had fully intended to go through with it - until I saw Damon. There was no denying it now; I felt something for Stefan's brother and it was not fair to pretend everything was fine between us anymore.

"Okay," Stefan was hurt and he did a poor job at hiding it, "Well we don't have to do this, then. We can just watch a movie or something," he stood up and began blowing out the candles.

I watched from the floor, shocked at my sudden urgency to push Stefan away and even more shocked that I didn't feel as guilty as I should have about it. The last thing I wanted to do now was try to salvage what had become an incredibly awkward experience and I thought it best to end the evening. "I think I should probably just go," I whispered.

Dumbfounded, Stefan turned the light on in the living room and ran his hand through his hair. "Was it the food?" he sounded like a small child and I couldn't help but laugh. His face relaxed as I stood up and walked over to hug him.

"The food was amazing," I kissed his cheek, feeling that was the most appropriate form of affection at the moment, "And so are you. I think we should just go with the flow from now on."

Stefan sighed, seemingly in agreement and pulled me in for another hug. "I'm sorry babe," he spoke into my hair.

"Don't be," I pulled away and smiled up at him. "We'll figure this out."

We said our goodbyes and I went out to my car. Sitting in the driveway I finally allowed all of the unwanted thoughts to consume me. On the drive home I switched from being angry at myself to angry at Damon for making me feel this way to just plain angry in general. By the time I reached my neighborhood the anger had subsided and I began to think about what I wanted more than anything - to tell Damon how I felt. I was not sure I would be able to go through with it, but I knew nothing would ever be the same with either brother until I faced the truth and figured out what was going on inside my head. Before I could change my mind, I picked up my phone and dialed Damon's number.


	13. Chapter 13

Damon did not know where he was going but figured he would end up at one bar or another. His new hang out would not work tonight. The last thing he needed was Elena's little brother hanging on his every word when all he wanted to do was forget about her again. All of her friends would be at The Grille so that wouldn't work either. As he neared the intersection of the road that would lead him to Wickery Bridge he made a sharp left turn. This made more sense than anything else and he wasn't sure why he hadn't thought of it before. Maybe he didn't need to drown away his emotions with alcohol; maybe the only thing that would help was actually thinking about it all.

He stopped his car on the shoulder and stood beside it for a few minutes, allowing his mind to drift back to all of the intense moments that had come from parking in this spot. As he walked to the bridge he imagined that he was ten-years-old again, walking alongside his father with fishing pole in hand. Things were so much different then. This was really one of the first times he had allowed himself to reminiscence about that night and he immediately felt the weight of the world fall from his shoulders.

By the time he reached the bridge, he was not sad and he was not conflicted. His head was clear and he felt better than he had in a long, long time. Changing stations, his thoughts drifted back to Elena. This bridge was ultimately responsible for him meeting her for the first time. Of course the story could have played out much better if he got to choose the ending, but there was certainly no denying that this place was where most everything began for him.

He sat down on the edge of the bridge just off the road and let his feet hang down into the air below him. He closed his eyes and cleared everything from his head, concentrating on the cold air on his face and the sound of the water below him. Before he realized it, an hour had passed and the vibration of his phone in his pocket stirred him back to reality. When he saw who was calling he hesitated to pinch himself; surely he had fallen asleep and this must be a dream. Elena was with Stefan tonight – all things going as planned, she was more than likely more _with_ him than she had ever been before. Surely this was not really her calling.

"Elena?" he couldn't stop himself from allowing the hesitation and hopefulness resonate in his voice as he finally answered.

"Hey," she spoke very quietly, sounding just as nervous as she had when he had left her in his front yard, "I know this is stupid-" she began.

Realizing that his wildest dreams may be about to turn into a reality, Damon cut her off quickly to delay the mixed emotions, "Are you still with Stefan?" he was sure that if she really were still with Stefan and calling about something else entirely that this would sound like a pretty ignorant question – but he had a feeling it made perfect sense now and that he knew what her answer would be.

"No," she replied, "I couldn't… Something didn't feel right and I left," she explained.

Damon's heart sank to his feet briefly then, as he stood up, he could feel the rhythm picking up pace inside him. "What does that mean?" He realized he was whispering but somehow it felt right.

"I don't know," she said, and he knew exactly what that meant for him. "Can you meet me at the barn? I think we need to talk."

"I'll be there in fifteen," unthinking, he clicked off his phone and began to jog back to his car. His head was swimming with unwelcome thoughts again, mostly the guilt that had hit him hard suddenly. Regardless of what Elena truly wanted to say to Damon, she had chose to spend time with him tonight and not Stefan and the fact that he was so excited about this made him feel absolutely terrible.

…..

My hand was shaking as I lowered the phone to my lap. I had pulled off on the side of the road just inside my neighborhood, not wanting to go home and not wanting to be out, either. For a split second I started to regret calling Damon, but I shook it off and rationalized that I still had fifteen minutes to plan out what exactly I was going to say and how much of my feelings I really planned on divulging. Every time my mind started to drift to Stefan I redirected my thoughts to something else entirely – on top of how confused I had been the past hour, the last thing I needed was to start to feel guilty as well. Whatever I decided, I would have to figure out what and how to tell Stefan some other time. Who knows; maybe after talking with Damon I might realize how stupid I was being and how much I really did love Stefan. Either way, I had to know for sure.

The short drive to the barn felt much quicker than normal and my heart raced as I saw that his car was already there. When I pulled up he exited his car and walked around to the front. The look on his face was one I had not seen before - confused definitely, but it was also as if he were holding back happiness which was entirely unusual for Damon since I had known him. Normally it was the other way around. I began to be reassured in my assumption that he felt something for me too. Knowing that actually made this ten times more difficult.

I took my time getting of the car, cautious of my expression. I could not appear too uninterested but I also could not let the relief show on my face - relief that I felt immediately as soon as I saw him. When I was around Damon, it was almost as if all the crazy tricks my mind had been playing lately disappeared. Everything was just clear; and when we parted, the thoughts came back tenfold, worse than before I had seen him every time.

I quickly realized as I approached him that I forgot to plan out how to start the conversation. _Damon, I think I have feelings for you_ somehow just didn't seem like the best introduction.

"Hey," I began to smile, realizing how ridiculous I felt and he smiled back, obviously feeling much of the same.

"Hey back," his eyes were softer than I had ever seen them before and I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around him; I had a feeling he had not received a hug in a long time.

"Sorry if I interrupted anything," I looked down at the ground, sensing that with the short amount of time it took him to arrive here I probably had not interrupted much. The smile left my face as this began to feel real. Was I really doing this? I should be with Stefan tonight and here I was instead, with his brother making small talk to avoid the most awkward conversation of my life.

"You didn't," he sounded concerned, stepping forward towards me. He reached down and put his hand on my chin, tilting my head up to meet his eyes. The look there told me that he was just as shocked as I was by the sudden physical contact. This was the first time he had ever deliberately touched me and I knew that personally I had longed for it, maybe even since the first time I laid eyes on him.

His hand moved from my chin to the side of my face and his thumb circled my cheek slowly. I did not think it would be possible for my heart to beat faster than it already was but it sped up even more with this caress and I had to remind myself to breathe. Suddenly I realized that the right words were irrelevant and he knew exactly why I had asked him to come here. I continued to stare up at him, my eyes refusing to leave his and I searched them for what I hoped would be an answer to all of my problems.

"I haven't stopped thinking about you since the day I met you," he whispered, his hand never leaving my face. His other hand had moved to my hip and he did not have to exert any effort at all to cause me to step even closer. "I've tried so hard to convince myself that it meant nothing," he continued, echoing my thoughts.

"I know what you mean," I stammered out, once again remembering to breathe before and after I spoke, "I've felt the same." That was the first time that I had admitted it to myself, but saying it felt so good and I could not contain my elation that he felt it too.

For a moment he was silent, then it looked as if he might speak again. He thought better of it and his right hand moved up to the other side of my face. He looked deeply into my eyes one last time, seeking approval before he finally leaned forward and touched his lips to mine.

At first it felt strange and almost uninvited, but I quickly gave in to the temptation in the pit of my stomach and I kissed him back, harder and deeper than I had ever kissed Stefan before. Maybe it was the thrill of doing something so forbidden - or maybe it was the fact that this was the last thing either one of us had planned or even expected - but I was able to let everything go and in that moment I never wanted to be away from his touch again.

...

Damon could not believe what was happening. As soon as he saw the look on Elena's face when she got out of the car, he knew she did not have to say a word to make him understand exactly what she had come here to tell him. She looked so torn and confused and he did not want her to have to say anything at all, knowing full well how the words would hurt coming from her mouth. He decided to make the first move. After he had confessed his feelings, she indicated that she felt the same and he could not stop himself from initiating the kiss.

As the kiss turned from an emotional confession to a passionate plea Damon fought the urge to pull away. From the way the situation appeared when he had left his house earlier, it looked as though she and Stefan had not been intimate before. In fact, he was not entirely sure that she had been intimate with any man. The last thing he wanted was for her to think that what he felt for her was purely physical. He may actually have a chance to develop an emotional connection with Elena and he did not want to do anything to ruin that.

He was shocked, however, when Elena began to run her hands from behind his back to his chest, leaving a trail of fire every place they touched. Her lips never left his and she began to back up towards the barn. When her hands found the bottom of his shirt and started to bring it up over his head, he finally broke the kiss to finish removing his shirt, picked her up so that her legs wrapped around his torso and, resuming their passionate embrace, he carried her inside the barn.

There were a few old couches lining the walls towards the front of the small barn. The town teenagers had collected ragged furniture to add to their party house over the years and he was sure Elena did not mind that the couch he laid her onto might be less than sanitary. After she was situated on the couch below him, he released his grasp of her waist and broke their kiss again to remove her shirt. She did not hesitate and helped him, tossing it onto the floor beside the couch. He stayed hovered above her for a moment, admiring the view that he had been secretly dreaming about for weeks. He could not believe this was actually happening and he had no time to think about what this might mean in the future.

Just to make sure that he had not been reading the situation entirely wrong, he looked at her with smoldering eyes and asked, "Are you sure?"

She answered by grabbing his arms and pulling him down onto her chest, picking back up where they had left off moments before. She started to unbutton his pants, feeling as if she were having an out-of-body experience and that this could not truly be her mind in control of her hands. She was reminded quickly that she was indeed still in control when the button would not come loose as easily as they made it seem in movies and she blushed as he pulled away to help her out.

The mood shifted slightly as Damon realized how embarrassed she was and he couldn't help but smile at her innocence. It struck him then that he had been right in his assumption earlier and he really might be about to take Elena's virginity. He contemplated stopping but recalled how sore Elena had been about Stefan choosing the time and place for sex and he knew that knowledge gave him the upper hand. He removed his jeans and let them fall to the ground beside Elena's shirt, studying her reaction for any signs of hesitation. Her response was to begin working on the clasp of her own pants and, having plenty of experience in the area, he helped her finish the task.

For one slightly awkward and telling moment they stopped to look at one another, both never imagining that the first night they decided to stop pretending they had no feelings for each other would also be the night they learned every intimate detail of the others physique.

With each second that passed Elena started to feel more silly and exposed and she pulled Damon back down on top of her again. He had seen enough and if she thought any more about this she was afraid she might stop herself. They resumed kissing, slightly more rigid than before but quickly turned the passion back up and both of their hands explored one another. Damon could not help but feel a little amused as she ventured south cautiously, knowing how embarrassed she must be but feeling thrilled that she was so willing to pretend it didn't matter and trek on anyway. He thought it best not to delay any longer and he pulled away from her lips, raised just slightly above her. His eyes stared into hers as if to make sure she was ready; when he found the answer that he wanted he brought his lips back to hers and entered her slowly.

He could feel her suck in a breath and she stopped responding to his kiss briefly, but he knew not to stop unless she asked him to and he continued. He began kissing her neck and moved down to her breasts, sensing that with each passing second she came to relax more.

After what felt like hours he felt her body became rigid and her nails dug into his back. He allowed himself to let go completely and he thought that he might lose consciousness from the overwhelming sensation that took over his body. When he was sure they had been both been completely satisfied he collapsed on top of her, shifting her body to the side slightly so that he could lay beside her. He gave her one more kiss to let her know that he was still emotionally present and began to caress her cheek again. She stared at him with a look in her eyes that he had not seen before. For the first time since the night he saw her at the police station, she looked completely at peace.


	14. Chapter 14

It took a few seconds after I woke up for me to realize where I was - and more importantly who I was with. A flashback of the night's events played through my mind and my eyes shot open. At some point I had moved to the edge of the couch; Damon lay asleep behind me, his arm resting across my stomach. I noted that I was wearing my shirt but no pants. I looked at my surroundings and realized that the environment was slightly scary - it was completely dark, I was cold and I was more uncomfortable mentally than I had ever been. I imagined that I had not been asleep long and it couldn't be morning yet. I made the decision to leave without waking Damon. I was not ready for that conversation and truthfully I had no idea how I even felt about everything yet. I slipped out from under his arm; he stirred slightly, turning from his side to his stomach as I gathered my belongings quickly and made my way to the open barn door.

Outside the barn it was not much colder than it had been inside. I hugged my arms to gain warmth as I walked to my car. While backing away from the barn I suddenly felt terrible for leaving Damon there alone. For a split second I contemplated going back inside, getting back on the couch beside him and not leaving until he made me. Thinking twice, I threw the car into drive and accelerated down the dirt road. I could not help but feel like I had committed some sort of crime and I made sure to look around for any witnesses as I pulled out onto the main road. I made a mental note that I saw the taillights of a black sedan turning a corner maybe a mile ahead, but I brushed it off as a passerby and started home. My eyes reverted to the rear view mirror nearly every thirty seconds and I started to curse myself for what I had done. I never imagined that the guilt would be this consuming and I wondered if it would ever end.

When I reached my house I entered as quietly as I could. The car radio had told me that it was after 4:00 in the morning. My cell phone told me that I had five missed calls and over twenty text messages from Stefan. I went up to my room and got straight into the shower, not bothering to consider that it might wake Jeremy or Jenna. For some reason this seemed like the best way to clean my guilty conscience. It didn't work, however, and by the time I was finished I had seven new missed calls on my cell. All Damon. As I stared at his name on the screen, a voice mail message indication suddenly appeared. I was slightly startled and not entirely sure I wanted to hear what he had to say yet, but I listened anyway:

"Elena please call me back. Why did you leave? Did I do something wrong? I thought this was what you wanted," he spoke with an extreme sense of urgency and I hated hearing the hurt in his voice. "If you're mad I understand but please just let me know you're home safe."

I had not thought it would be possible to feel even worse than I already did, but hearing his voice again made that a reality. I began a new text message that said, "Home safe. Sorry." and hit send.

He didn't call for the rest of the night and I was able to drift in and out of sleep for a few hours. The phone buzzing finally woke me from my light dozing around 7:00. Stefan's name was the last thing I wanted to see and I turned the phone upside down on the nightstand, covering my head with my pillow. I decided to get out of my room and away from my phone. I went downstairs and began to make breakfast - something I had not done in quite a while. Luckily, it kept my mind occupied for another hour. Eventually the aroma brought both Jeremy and Jenna downstairs into the kitchen.

"Smells great," Jenna greeted me, running her hand through the back of my hair. "Are you cooking breakfast to make up for staying out all night without calling?" She was still smiling but her tone was now sarcastic.

I smiled back, "I'm sorry Jen. I was-" I began, but Jeremy came around the corner and interrupted before I could make up a lie.

"Yeah, where were you anyway? Stefan called me like fifteen times," he grabbed a piece of bacon that I had just plated and sat down at the bar.

I could feel my cheeks turning red and I turned back to my omelet on the stove. "I went to Caroline's," I lied quietly, hoping someone would change the subject.

"Well he said you weren't answering his calls," Jeremy continued, much to my dismay.

"I just wanted a night away from him. Is that okay?" I glared at Jeremy and hoped he would take the hint.

He raised his eyebrows, "Whoa, back down killer!" he held his hands up and laughed, "Trouble in paradise?"

It was very unlike Jeremy to pry into my social life and I was incredibly bothered that he chose today to start. I ignored his question and prepared three plates. Taking mine, I went into the living room and turned on the TV. I was never much for TV in the past but today there was nothing more I wanted to do than sit on the couch all day and zone completely out.

By noon I had started to think that maybe I would actually get away with escaping into my fictional TV land for an entire day, but the doorbell ringing brought me right back to my all-too-real reality. I knew before I got to the door that it would be Stefan. Thinking quickly, I tousled my hair and tried my best to look pathetic before opening the door.

"Hey," I forced a smile and walked outside, closing the door behind me. I did not want to invite him inside for fear that he would never leave. I still just wanted to be left alone.

"Hey?!" he was very angry but looked slightly relieved,"I've called you 400 times, left a thousand messages and all you can say is _Hey_? Do you know how worried I've been? Jeremy said you never came home last night. I almost called the damn cops, Elena!"

"I'm not a child, Stefan," I snapped back all too suddenly, surprising even myself. Realizing how harsh that I had sounded I continued, "I'm sorry. I went to Caroline's. We watched a movie and fell asleep. I woke up feeling awful. Think I have the flu or something," I made a mental note to call Caroline right away and inform her that she was my alibi.

"I called Caroline, Elena," he was angrier now than I had ever seen him before.

My heart sank and I thought I would have to fess up sooner than I had anticipated. Instead, banking on my sudden confidence, anger, and skill at hiding the truth I quickly responded, "Okay, Stefan. You win. You really want to know why I haven't been answering your calls? I don't want to be with you anymore. I hate the way you treat me like some little piece of precious property that could fall apart at any minute," I stopped myself, once again feeling like I was hovering in the air watching some stranger inhabit my body.

"What?" Stefan looked like I had hauled back and slapped him in the face.

I nearly cried just seeing his reaction and I wanted more than ever to hug him. The only difference between the way I viewed him now and the way I viewed him 24 hours before was that I had been the one to cause the pain in his eyes. I hated myself for it. At the same time, I knew that doing this was only fair to him after what I had done and that he really would be better off without me. "I'm sorry," I lowered my voice, "I just can't do this anymore." Tears were flowing silently down my cheeks now.

He reached out instinctively and wiped them away with his finger. I turned my head away, not wanting any more reason to regret what I had said and done. "Why didn't you tell me that you felt that way?" tears had formed in his eyes as well and I could tell he was fighting hard to hold them back.

"I don't know why," and that was the truth – about everything, even what he didn't know yet. "You deserve better. I can't be who you want me to be."

"You are everything I want you to be, Elena," he defended. I had hoped he wouldn't argue; it only made him appear more fragile and I couldn't handle breaking something that I had held so close for so long.

"Stefan, don't," I made eye contact, pleading with him to just stop.

A tear finally emerged from his eye and he wiped it away quickly. "Okay," he nodded and backed away. "Okay…" he turned around and got into his car, not looking my direction again as he backed out of the driveway and drove away down the street.

I fought the urge to fall to my knees and sob uncontrollably on the ground. The thought entered my mind to call Damon and ask him to come take me away, but as soon as it did I hated myself even worse for even considering it and I decided to shut everything out again. I wiped my eyes, went back inside and headed straight up the stairs to my room.

...

Jeremy walked along the woods in his back yard, hoping that what he shared with Klaus might impress him and cause him to lie off for a while.

"What have you got?" Klaus answered on the other end of the phone.

"Maybe nothing," Jeremy threw in a disclaimer just in case, "There's something going on with Elena and Stefan. She looked really upset and she left his house last night and never came home. I'm thinking maybe he told her what happened and maybe I can get her to-"

Klaus interrupted, "And did you find out anything from Damon last night?"

Confused, Jeremy hesitated, "No… He never came to the bar. But what I was saying is-" he tried to continue but was cut off again.

"That's because he was with Elena, you idiot. You know I'm beginning to think you're not much use to me at all. I might have to rethink the two week limit and start doing this my way," Klaus spoke casually and Jeremy did indeed feel like an idiot.

"What? Why the hell would she be with him and how would you even know that?" Jeremy felt a mix of very strange emotions. He felt betrayed that he did not know his sister as well as he thought he did; he felt suddenly sad for Stefan; and he felt angered by Damon that he could be the cause of such infidelity to his own brother.

"You're taking too long," Klaus forced a nonchalant sigh, "I had her followed."

"You told me you would leave her out of this!" Jeremy snapped, trying to remain as quiet as possible through his fury.

"I'm sorry that you mistook me as a man of my word," Klaus laughed, "That seems like an error in judgment on your part," He was right and Jeremy had no response. He continued, "Look kid, the clock is ticking. Just find out what I need to know and this will all be over."

Still unsure of what to say, Jeremy hung up the phone and reared back to throw it in the woods. He thought better and instead just gripped it tightly, watching as his hand turned white around the phone. He had been so stupid to involve himself and now he needed more than ever to find the truth so he could make Elena move on before it was too late.

...

I had been staring at my phone for almost an hour. I had already assured Caroline that I was fine and that I didn't want to talk about it, but now I knew that I had to say something to Damon. Stefan would be home now and he might think that I told him what happened.

I typed out, "Don't think we should tell anyone. I broke up with Stefan. But we shouldn't see each other again. No regrets, just think this will be easier for everyone."

There were so many things I wanted to say differently but I couldn't find better words. I closed my eyes and hit "send".

Five minutes later my phone buzzed and I looked down quickly, hoping that Damon would try to talk me out of it and that I would give in.

"You're right."

My mouth dropped open and I stared at the text, tears suddenly forming again. I clenched my jaw and threw the phone onto the bed. Maybe I really was no different to Damon than Caroline had been. I struggled to believe this were really true but surely if he really cared for me he would have fought to change my mind.

A knock at my door startled me from my pity party and I sat up, wiping my eyes quickly. Without waiting for an invitation Jeremy opened the door. "Hey sis. What's wrong?" He furrowed his brow in confusion and walked to the edge of my bed, sitting down next to me.

"Nothing, Jer. I really don't want to talk about it. I just want to be alone, okay?" I tried to smile to reassure him but I knew it wasn't working.

"I'm worried about you," he looked genuinely concerned and I realized that even though I had thought I had no one who I could open up to anymore, I always had my brother.

"You'll just think I'm an idiot if I tell you..." I hoped that he would lose interest and decide he really did not want to know, but I also desperately needed someone else to know what I was going through. I needed someone who was not going to judge me; who would love me unconditionally no matter how stupid I had been.

"I could never think that," he smiled, pressing for me to continue.

"I messed up bad Jer," I started to cry harder and he instinctively pulled me in for a hug. As I buried my face into his chest, grateful that at least this terrible day had appeared to bring back my relationship with my brother, I confessed, "I cheated on Stefan," I waited a second for him to respond but he said nothing. Before I could stop myself I added, "With Damon."

He pulled me away from him quickly and looked at me coldly. For a minute I thought he might lecture me, but his expression softened and he got up to get me a box of tissues. When he returned he put his arm around my shoulder, "Elena I know you like those guys for whatever reason. And I was okay with you dating Stefan," he began and I knew what was coming next, "But there's something about Damon that I just can't figure out. I mean he's a cool guy to hang out with. But it's like he's hiding some dark secret or something, and nothing good can come from a guy who has a shady past."

I looked at Jeremy for a minute, wondering if maybe Damon had told him what happened last summer. How else would he have picked up on that?

Jeremy continued before I could think of a response, "Not to mention you don't need to be just another notch on his bedpost. I think it's best if you just stay away from both of them."

"That's the plan," I sighed, wiping the tears from my face. Now that I had confessed, I told myself that I would not ever talk about this weekend ever again. Jeremy was right; I needed to get my life back to the way it was before the Salvatore brothers showed up and changed everything.

...

As Jeremy forced himself to act surprised while Elena confessed her secret, he contemplated for a second whether or not he should just go ahead and tell her everything he knew. He thought better of it when he reminded himself that she had already had a terrible weekend; the last thing she needed was more drama about her boyfriend and her apparent secret lover to confuse her. Although he had already known about Elena and Damon before his sister admitted it to him moments ago, hearing it come from her mouth made him angrier than ever. He had (on some remote level) considered Damon a friend and he felt slightly betrayed by his prowess. What angered him most of all was that he knew how Damon had been with girls in the past. That was one of the only things he really had been willing to talk to Jeremy about, and the way he bragged about his conquests made it seem like women were merely trophies to him. The thought that now his sister was just another one on his shelf made his blood boil. His only solace came from the look on her face; she had obviously already realized it and he would not need to worry about Damon anymore.

Now that Elena might be done with the brothers for good, Jeremy wanted so badly to shut Klaus out of his life and pretend none of it ever happened. As long as Elena stayed away from the Salvatores what they did in their past was of no concern to him anymore. He knew better, however, especially now that Klaus knew Elena had a deeper connection to Stefan and Damon than ever before. He feared that Klaus' idea of "taking things into his own hands" was to involve Elena in some way to get to the boys. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that this might be the only way to get them to talk. He was running out of ideas to get a confession and needed to come up with something fast. He was sure that his promise of two more weeks was just a loose suggestion and that if he did not turn up something good soon his sister might be in trouble.

Unfortunately for Jeremy, the next week came and went and he knew nothing more by the following weekend than he had the week before. Damon had not been at any bar in town all week and a drive by his house one night indicated that he was not home, either. Stefan and Elena had avoided each other all week at school and Jeremy knew he had no good reason to engage Stefan in a conversation on his own. Every time his phone rang and he saw Klaus or Matthew's number appear he pushed ignore. This had occurred for two days now and he knew that he would not be able to get away with ignoring them for much longer.

What Jeremy did not realize, however, was that being ignored enraged Klaus more than anything else in the world. By doing so, he had set in motion a chain of events that would ultimately allow Klaus to succeed in getting what he needed - without Jeremy's help, after all.


	15. Chapter 15

"Just look at him," Caroline pouted her lip out and nodded her head in Stefan's direction. He was sitting alone at a table in the cafeteria, reading a book with no food in front of him. The guys who we had been hanging around all year had attempted to have Stefan join them before and after school and at lunch over the past week but he respectfully declined. "Whatever happened can be fixed," Caroline had been pleading me to tell her what had happened that caused the break up all week. I told her it was nothing; we just weren't right for each other. So far I had not heard the end of how "wrong" I was.

He did look pathetic and I desperately wanted to forget the past several weeks and go back to when things were normal and simple with Stefan and I. As much as I wanted to, I knew it would never be the same and I could not live with the guilt of what I had done to him.

"He's a big boy, Care. He's graduating soon anyway. He won't even have to see me again," saying that out loud for the first time made everything much more real than it had been before. I felt my heart start to hurt and I had to get out of there. I put away my lunch tray and headed towards my next class, Caroline trailing behind.

"Why can't you just tell me what really happened? You two were fine last week. You don't just go from planning sex to hating each other in two days," Caroline was so persistent that I thought I might just tell her what happened to shut her up.

I reminded myself that I had made a mental promise to never repeat it again after I told Jeremy and I decided on yet another lie, "I couldn't bring myself to go through with it. I figured that meant he wasn't the right guy for me," this was more open than I had been with her all week and she finally just nodded her head and shrugged.

"Well it's probably for the best. Look at who you'd be related to if you ever got married. Ugh!" I knew exactly who she was referring to and I couldn't be more pleased when the bell rang overhead, signaling that lunch was over.

At home that night as I was doing my laundry I came across the outfit that I had worn the night I had been with Damon. It was still lying unwashed on the floor of my closet. Reluctantly I picked up my shirt and inhaled deeply. I could not believe it and it felt so cliché - but all I could smell was Damon. His scent brought back vivid flashbacks along with a tingling in my core. Keeping the shirt to my nose I sat down on the bed, glancing at my cell phone. I had to try one last time. Before I had time to talk myself out of it I dialed his number and held my breath. I half expected him to pick up after the first ring and confess his undying affection for me, then tell me he would meet me at the barn and we could pick right back up where we left off. However reality sank in when I got his voice mail. I hung up quickly and curled up on the bed shirt still in hand, inhaling until I drifted off to sleep.

It may have been the pheromones getting to my head, but the entire next day at school all I thought about was Damon. Even when I saw Stefan in the hallway and during the two classes we had together, all I could do was pick out the similarities between he and Damon in his complexion and I actually did not even consider feeling bad about it once.

On my way home from school a sudden empty depression crept over me. I definitely did not want to spend Friday night at The Grille with the same old people who I had spent nearly every Friday night with my entire teenage life. Even more so, I loathed the thought of sitting at home alone all night. Before I knew it I was making a U-turn in the road outside my house and I headed straight towards the barn. This seemed like the only secret place I had in the world where thinking about Damon was expected and perhaps even welcomed. When I got there I went straight to the blue couch that we had christened, turned some music on my cell phone and curled up with my jacket around me. I then allowed myself to daydream about Damon like I never had before; no regrets, no judgment - only longing to have him here with me again.

.….

Damon stopped at the entrance to the lavish nightclub he had decided on visiting and took a good look around. Mostly 20- and 30-somethings with a few younger college kids scattered here and there. No teenagers in sight and definitely no one he recognized or would ever have to see again. This was exactly what he needed. He found a seat at the crowded bar and ordered his first drink, spinning around to start people watching. He had been staying at a hotel in the city since the day that Elena had told him she didn't want to see him again. Of course he felt terrible for leaving Stefan during his time of need, but he felt sure that he would not be able to keep his secret if he had to be around his brother all week. Stefan could not understand what had possibly come over Elena and Damon hated that he knew the answer and couldn't share it. He hated even worse that he _was_ the answer.

When Elena called his phone Thursday night he nearly answered. He had been at the hotel with two girls that he met at a strip club and they were dancing drunk around his room at the time. Seeing Elena's name made the situation start to feel so shady to him. He quickly reminded himself that this was his life; this was how it always had been, and she made her choice to walk away when she was the only one who could have changed it. He had to get back to the way things used to be and he could not ever let himself fall so hard for a girl again. It was definitely confirmed now - all women brought to his life was pain.

Friday morning Elena was the first thing he thought about again and he shook the thought away by contemplating just changing his number all together. She had not tried to call again, though and he convinced himself that maybe she had finally let him go for good.

Tonight he wanted to try a new scene and his mission was to find a girl who would occupy his time so that he would not have a second to think about Elena. After a couple of drinks and a short amount of time he finally spotted a blonde bombshell eying him from across the room. He flashed a smile. This was enough to make her get up and walk over to him. She introduced herself as Leslie and they flirted incessantly for hours before finally getting a cab back to his hotel.

.….

I must have fallen asleep because before I realized it dark had consumed the barn and I was freezing cold. I sat up quickly and realized that as scary as the barn had before, it was ten times scarier now that I was alone. I gathered my jacket and cell phone and started for my car.

Just as I was ready to close the car door I swore I saw a flash of headlights in my rear view mirror. This would have been impossible unless someone else had been coming up the dirt road to the barn, considering the main road was not in view from here. I shivered, pulled my car door closed tight and hit the lock button then started to back out. No sooner had I gotten onto the main road than I heard a loud popping noise, almost like an explosion and I felt the car veer off to the right. "Great," I said out loud to myself. Having felt a flat tire before, I knew exactly what I was up against.

I exited the car, slamming the door behind me in frustration. I walked around to each tire before finally finding the culprit in the right rear. I bent down to examine the damage and my breath caught in my throat. There was a shard of glass sticking out my tire right around the inside of the rim. There was no way an accidental brush in with a stray beer bottle had caused this. I instantly got chills and my heart rate increased. I reached for my cell phone to call my brother but realized I had left it in the car.

Walking quickly back around the trunk to the driver's side door, I froze in place when I saw a man leaning against the door, barricading my entrance.

"I don't believe we've met," he smiled and I noticed the black truck on the opposite side of the road, "My name is Klaus, I'm a good friend of Jeremy's."

I could not think of any words to say and I began to plan out an appropriate time to start running away.

"Don't look so scared, Elena. I just wanted to finally meet you," he took a step towards me and I turned around, lunging myself forward to run as fast as I could.

I made it three steps before crashing into the chest of another man, nearly falling back onto the ground before he caught me. He pinned my arms behind my back and another man approached with a rope to tie them together. Soon a piece of cloth was tied around my eyes and everything went dark. I had no idea what was going on but I began to flail and kick as much as I could to subdue the men. It did not work and I found myself being carried across the street to the truck and thrown into the back seat. All I could do was lay there and think of how many regrets I would have if this truly were my last few moments alive.

.….

Damon and Leslie had started on their second drinks in the hotel room and music blared from the speaker's of Damon's iPod dock. The two had so far told each fictional stories about where they were from and why they were here; now they had moved on to talking about what they had wanted to do to one another. Leslie had wasted no time in pulling Damon onto the bed in a passionate kiss, but before things got too heated she pulled away and looked into his vacant stare.

"Tell me something else about yourself," she whispered almost seductively.

"What do you want to know?" he played along, hoping that she would just stop talking and they could get on with it.

"Tell me something no one else knows. Your darkest secret," she ran her finger down his chest and flicked her eyes back up to his as it reached the hem of his pants. "Tell me yours and I'll tell you mine."

"I don't like this game," he tried to appear uninterested in the conversation and leaned forward to kiss her again.

She moved backwards, giggling, "Ah ah… you have to tell me something first. It's the only way I can get off," she made a pouty face and he sighed.

His eyes darkened and he suddenly had the urge to accept her invitation and share his secret with someone else; whether she believed him or not, now Elena would not be the only one he had ever told and somehow that might make her feel less relevant. "I killed a man," he whispered.

She stared at him for a second, no expression on her face at all. She finally busted into a hearty giggle and slapped his chest playfully, "Don't make fun of my game," she started to work on the button of his jeans and continued, "Now tell me something _true_."

Damon was relieved that she did not believe him, but he was right – it did feel slightly invigorating to have confessed his secret to someone else, regardless of the impression it made. "Okay," he tried a different approach: "I left the town I live in a week ago because I had sex with my brother's girlfriend," this seemed to peek her interest and she batted her eyelashes, seductively yanking down the zipper on his pants and exposing his boxers. "I took her virginity," he continued, seeing that maybe his new friend really did have a thing for dirty secrets. She responded by pulling him down on top of her for a steamy kiss. He pulled away after a moment, "Now you tell me yours," he smiled playfully, suddenly liking her game.

"Hmm… okay," she bit her lip and ran her hand through his hair, "My name isn't Leslie."

Confused but slightly even more aroused at her apparent desire to pretend she was someone else, he asked the obvious question: "So what is it, then?"

She brought her hand down from behind his head to run a finger across his lips and whispered, "Rebekah."


	16. Chapter 16

Jeremy had all but given up on his investigation considering he had no idea where Damon was and he was certain Elena and Stefan were done for good. He had not spoken to Klaus in days and eventually both Klaus and Matthew stopped calling entirely. He was beginning to think that maybe since he had failed as a murder investigator Klaus realized how useless he truly was and decided to move on. At first he found solace in this idea; but then Friday night came and Elena did not return home from school. He tried not to worry too much - maybe she had just decided to reconcile with Stefan; or maybe she was having a girl's night with Caroline and her friends from school. But when Saturday morning came and turned to afternoon he knew something was wrong. The feeling he had in the pit of his stomach was undeniable - it just was not like Elena to ignore his phone calls for so long.

After driving by all of her friend's houses he decided as a last resort to go to the Salvatore estate. There was a good chance she might be there with at least one of the brothers; which one did not matter to him at the moment, as long as she was safe. He pulled into the driveway and his heart sank when he did not see her car. Beads of sweat began to line his forehead and he knew that it was finally time to tell Stefan what was going on. He got out of the car and nearly ran up to the front door. He banged on the door loudly and rang the doorbell simultaneously as if he had already been standing here for minutes.

Stefan answered the door within a matter of seconds, mouth open and a look on his face that rivaled Jeremy's already. "What the hell?" he gasped out, voice raised in confusion and fear at the sight of his ex-girlfriend's little brother in front of him.

"I need to talk to you," Jeremy demanded, pushing the door open with his hand and inviting himself inside.

Stefan was in no condition for visitors and could only continue to stare at Jeremy, mouth still open as he made his way into the house. "Jeremy I don't think it's a good idea for you to be-" he began.

"Elena's in trouble, Stefan," Jeremy interrupted, his eyes meeting Stefan's gaze with the most serious expression he could muster. Stefan continued to stare at Jeremy as if he were trying to determine if he were telling the truth or not. Jeremy continued, "I fucked up, dude. It's all my fault," with that he walked over to the couch and collapsed into the cushion holding his head in his hands, fingers laced through his hair.

Stefan followed cautiously and sat in a chair across from him. "Slow down, man. What are you talking about?"

Jeremy started from the beginning – from the day that Matthew picked him up at school, to leaving the diner with Klaus, to the night he spent in the motel room. He divulged the entire story that Klaus had shared with him that night. Stefan sat speechless the whole time, his expression visibly changing from confusion to shock to fear.

"They promised me they would leave her out of it. But I didn't do my part… She didn't come home from school yesterday, man. I think they might have her."

Stefan's head was spinning with information; he did not know what to believe or where to begin. "Did you try Caroline? Any of her other friends?"

"Yes, Stefan. I'm telling you – something is not right," Jeremy sighed, hoping that Stefan would have suggested something he hadn't thought of. "Wait. Where's Damon?"

"What? What does Damon have to do with anything?" What color Stefan had left in his face drained quickly. He had a terrible sneaking suspicion ever since Elena had broken up with him out of the blue and his brother had mysteriously left town within 24 hours that the two events were somehow connected.

Jeremy became slightly embarrassed as he realized that Stefan obviously did not know about last weekend. "I don't know, man. I'm just trying to cover all my options," he backtracked, avoiding eye contact.

"I don't really know where he is," Stefan answered truthfully, satisfied for the time being with Jeremy's answer. "He left last weekend. Said he was bored and wanted to stay in a hotel for a while. I'll call him and see if he knows anything," as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket he stood up and looked at Jeremy, "Do you know where that motel was that Klaus took you to?" Jeremy nodded and he continued, "Let's go."

...

Damon opened his eyes to the unmistakable sound of his phone vibrating. He rolled over in the king size hotel bed, noting that the blonde who he had fallen asleep next to must have already completed her walk of shame before he woke up. This was not unusual for him in the slightest and in fact he preferred it this way. He checked the clock and let out a groan as he saw that it was already 1:30 in the afternoon. He spent most of his days this week in the bed and part of him felt the least bit irresponsible about it. His phone had stopped buzzing from the first missed call but was beginning to start again. He looked around the room to see if the phone was anywhere in sight, preferably within reaching distance. Of course it would not be that easy. The caller was obviously very persistent – by the time he touched his feet to the ground and noted that the phone was about three feet away on the floor by a pile of clothes the phone was ringing for a third time.

"I'm coming, Jesus," he mumbled as if the person on the other line could actually hear him. He reached for the phone and felt his stomach turn slightly, as it had all week, when he saw his brother's name. "Ah, damn it," he sighed and answered groggily, "Hey bro," keeping with the façade that nothing had come between them.

"Damon. You need to come home," Stefan began hurriedly.

Damon's first instinct was that Stefan must have found out about last week. He nearly started to apologize profusely but wisely decided to make sure first, "You okay?" he asked nervously.

"I honestly don't know," Stefan answered, "I think Elena might be in trouble. Do you have any idea where she might be?"

Damon was still hesitant; maybe this was a test. "Stefan I'm not even in the same zip code as Mystic Falls right now," he evaded, "What do you mean in trouble?"

"Klaus," he whispered, "Jeremy thinks they have her."

"What?" Damon's stomach turned again and he fought the sudden urge to vomit. "Why the hell would Klaus have her?" his voice was raised; he did not care how suspicious Stefan might be that he cared so much about Elena's whereabouts.

"I'll tell you when you get here. Just come home," Stefan was in his room, trying to talk to Damon while throwing clothes on as Jeremy waited downstairs. "Wait," he added quickly before Damon could hang up. This burning question could not wait until he was home. "Have you told me the truth about what happened to dad?" his voice was much quieter now.

Damon had no idea what this had to do with the situation but answered after some consideration, "Of course, Stefan. Why would I lie to you? You know how he died."

"I know how – I'm talking about who," Stefan could tell by Damon's hesitation that there might really be more to the story.

Damon was not sure how, but he knew instantly that Stefan knew the truth and he could not protect his brother any more. This made him feel as if his life were crashing down around him and he instantly hated himself for leaving Stefan alone for even a few days – especially since he knew very well that Klaus and his gang were in town. He knew what could happen if the men found out the role they played in Trey's death yet he selfishly left anyway. He suspected now that somehow they had found out and that not only had he put his brother's life in danger, but he had also involved Elena and Jeremy by association.

"I couldn't tell you when I found out, Stef… You were still so young," his voice pleaded for his brother to forgive him but he knew this would be harder to swallow than any other betrayal he had ever committed.

"I'm eighteen, Damon. When did you think would be an appropriate time to tell me that our dad was murdered by a mob boss?" Stefan was audibly upset.

Damon could hear a car starting up on the other end of the phone. "I'm on my way," he did not know what else to say without starting from the beginning; this was not something he could do over the phone. "I'll tell you everything when I get there. How the hell did you find this out? What's going on, Stefan? You have to tell me something."

"Call me when you get in town," Stefan said and the noise on the line stopped abruptly.

Damon's head was spinning with more thoughts than he could comprehend. First and foremost was his fear that Klaus really did have Elena. Second was the anger he felt knowing that if that were true, it was his fault; he had put her in danger by associating himself with her. He should have left town with his uncle when he had the chance. He never would have even met Elena, let alone had the chance to ruin her life. Instead of providing comfort, this thought made him feel instantly depressed. Just as the next regret of keeping the truth about their father's death from Stefan all these years started to surface, his stomach turned once again and he could not keep it down this time.

He emerged from the bathroom several minutes later. Having purged all of his innermost fears and regrets, he allowed the adrenaline to control his motions. He cleaned his room, gathered his belongings and left the hotel room without looking back.

...

I heard male voices surround me and I recognized none of them. I had tried to visualize where I was taken during the car ride but failed miserably after three turns. I assumed by the down comforter that I sat on now that I was in some type of hotel room; but the car ride had taken over thirty minutes and there was no telling what city we were even in at this point.

After a few minutes my blindfold was finally removed. I squinted my eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness that consumed me and saw the face of my captor smiling down at me. I had assumed correctly – I was indeed in a hotel room and Klaus stood across from the bed I was sitting on, leaning against a wooden dresser with his hands folded across his chest.

"Let's try this again," he continued to smile as if nothing were out of the ordinary, "My name is Niklaus Mikaelson. You're Elena Gilbert," he spoke as if he were gaining some sort of sick pleasure from his charade, "Now we're just like old friends. Let's get right down to it."

"What do you want? I'm not helping you with anything. You might as well go ahead and kill me," I narrowed my eyes, the endorphins giving me a braveness I had rarely experienced before.

Klaus laughed; none of the other men in the room said a word. He continued, ignoring my previous statement: "Now I know that you're sweet on the Salvatore boys. And I'm almost certain that one of them has told you their little secret," he walked closer, kneeling down in front of me. "Oh, you know what I'm talking about. The one about my brother Trey. How they killed him."

I tried my best to maintain a poker face. I assumed that the men obviously did not know for certain what happened to Trey or else they would have Damon and Stefan here, not me. Thinking quickly, I responded: "You're wasting your time. I barely dated Stefan for a few months and I haven't even spoken to them in a week. But I highly doubt either of them is capable of murder."

Klaus sighed and walked to the back corner of the room where two of the other men sat at a small breakfast table. Seeing him advance, Kol stood up quickly. Klaus took the chair that he had been sitting in and dragged it in front of me, sitting down casually. He crossed his left leg over his right and leaned back. "Let's be frank here, little girl. You're fucking both of them. Don't try to deny it; we've been watching you. Let's just assume that you really do know what happened to my brother. I think you should know the whole story. Maybe then you'll be more willing to talk."

I could barely fight the urge to let the sudden curiosity show on my face. I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling, continuing to pretend to be uninterested. Truly my interest had been peaked; had Klaus been the one who sent Trey to the Salvatore estate that night? If he had, why did it take him so long to start seeking the revenge he obviously wanted against Damon and Stefan? More importantly, why had he needed to involve Jeremy and me if it was them he was after all along? As terrified as I was I was also truly captivated, wondering where the pieces came from. It was at this point that I told myself no matter what happens, I would never think any differently of either Stefan or Damon and I would fight tooth and nail to protect their secret, regardless of what Klaus thought he knew.

...

Damon drove more recklessly than he ever had before on his way back to Mystic Falls; the hour-long drive from the city had allowed him to rack his brain for any clues about how this chain of events had happened while he was away. More importantly he needed to figure out the connection that his father's death had to Klaus. When he was about ten minutes from home it finally hit him.

The realization was so sudden and so obvious that he nearly slammed on brakes in the middle of the road. He regained his composure and pushed the gas pedal even closer to the floor in an attempt to reach home faster to finish the puzzle. He had a feeling that he had all the pieces at home the whole time and could not believe he had not put them together sooner. He took out his phone carefully and dialed Stefan's number.

"Did you find her?" was the first thing he asked.

"No," Stefan sounded utterly hopeless, "They were packed up and gone from the motel. Of course they aren't answering Jeremy's calls now. Damon he's right – I know they have her. We need to call the police."

Damon could not get discouraged so easily and instead changed the subject briefly, "Do you still have all of those articles about Trey that came out after… the accident?" He always found that he lowered his voice no matter where he was or who he was with when he mentioned "the accident" to Stefan.

"I guess so," Stefan answered unassumingly, "I thought you said you never wanted to see them."

"Just get them out for me. I have a feeling this is all going to make a lot more sense after I see them. I'll be there in ten," growing more frustrated with himself with each passing second he threw his cell phone down into the passenger seat.

On a sudden whim his thoughts drifted back to Elena and the last night he had seen her. All he wanted now, more than ever, was to rewind to that night. He should have told her how he felt about her and made sure that she did not leave until she understood how serious he was. He wanted to be with her more than just one night but he never got a chance to tell her. He vowed that if he were ever given the chance to be with her again, he would have to find some way to make Stefan understand. He could live with the guilt of stealing his brother's girl, but the regret he felt now thinking he may not have the chance to tell her how he felt would surely be the death of him.

Damon had one last stop before he made it home. He slowed down as he neared the gravel turn off the road that led to the barn. He hoped that maybe, just maybe she had decided to spend the weekend here away from everyone and everything. He let out an audible gasp when he saw her car on the side of the road. He parked his car in the middle of the street and ran to her vehicle. He noticed quickly that the car had a flat tire. Looking inside, he saw that her cell phone was in the center console. He looked around quickly for any sign of escape and saw tire tracks on the opposite side of the street in the dirt. Stefan was right - Klaus did have Elena. Damon became angrier than he had ever been before. He punched the side of her car in a timed release of aggression before returning to his own. He nearly ran himself and three other cars off the road before he finally made it to his driveway.

Once inside, he ran straight past a stunned Stefan and Jeremy in the foyer to the bedside table in his room. He opened the second drawer and rummaged through until he found what he was looking for - the article that disclosed the truth about his father's murderer.


	17. Chapter 17

"Where should I begin?" Klaus took his time, knowing that the ball was in his court now and he had all the time in the world. The brothers would never find him here; but just in case, he had sent Matthew out to scout the area to keep them in sight. This way they would continue to have the upper hand in the situation and would not be ambushed unexpectedly.

"I don't want to hear your stupid lies," Elena interrupted through gritted teeth. "The cops will be after you soon now, you know. Kidnapping doesn't exactly go unnoticed in Mystic Falls."

"I'm not worried about that," Klaus did not like having to defend himself against his victim; but this was the truth - the last thing he worried about was that the men who killed his brother would involve the police for any reason. He still had some loose ends to tie up before he determined a plan of action against the brothers and either way, having their girl in his clutches was the perfect place to begin. "I assume you know that the Salvatores' father was killed," he began, wanting to see if she were as ignorant as Jeremy had been. When she did not bat an eyelash he continued, "And do you know why he was killed? Do you know who killed him?"

Her curiosity seemed to peak as she raised her eyes from the floor just slightly. This little indication assured Klaus that she really did not know anything about the man who murdered Stefan and Damon's father. He smiled, unable to wait to see the reaction on her face when he finished his story. "Well, let's go back to the beginning then. You see, my family was actually rather committed to your beloved Salvatores at one point in the distant past. Or the other way around, I should say. My father and theirs were really quite good friends..."

Klaus knew this story inside out but had only just recently had the need to tell it to anyone else. The day he told it to the Gilbert boy weeks ago was truly the first time that he had to think of a way to explain the entire situation to anyone. His brothers had experienced it all with him and so far he had never had any reason to share his family's history with an outsider. Whenever he found out that Trey had been killed, his gut knew instantly that the murder had something to do with the small town of Mystic Falls. He had absolutely nothing to go on with this assumption besides the scattered names of his father's colleagues who had lived here over the years, but he decided to take up residence in a motel room with his brothers and wait it out until the answer found him. Little did he know, but the night that Jeremy Gilbert decided to act out and deface his favorite car would actually prove to be the most pivotal night of his investigation.

For whatever reason, Jeremy had been so threatened by his friend Matthew's betrayal that he was really the most gullible target Klaus could have chosen in the entire town. After the fateful night that Klaus decided to take Matthew to The Grille for the first time, he had established a lead in the boy to go off of and it all snowballed from there. Whenever his odd curiosity in Jeremy led to him discovering that the eccentric older man the kid had been spending time with at the bar was one of the Salvatore brothers, he knew instantly that this was who he had come here for. Of course he had suspected that the family had some type of involvement initially, but at the time he had no idea that the two orphaned boys had returned to their old home town. When he saw Damon at the bar he suddenly felt that new life had been breathed back into his investigation. He was instantly certain that the brothers were involved to some degree in Trey's death - the only thing he was still completely unsure of was how his brother had ended up in their midst that night to begin with.

Klaus' knowledge of his family's involvement with the Salvatore clan was based solely on accounts he had received from his father over the years. He had a few brief memories of meeting Giuseppe Salvatore on a couple different occasions during his childhood, but his father always tried to keep work and home separate as much as he could manage. What he did know was that Giuseppe was one of his father's closest friends and most loyal followers. The man had always been wealthy and had no financial reason to engage in the scams and thievery that the other men who followed Mikaelson did; his impression was that Giuseppe did what he did out of love, trust and understanding for his boss that had grown over many, many years. Giuseppe's trust and loyalty was ultimately put to the test one night when Mikaelson asked his friend to commit a crime worse than any he knew Giuseppe was ever capable of committing in the past. This request was geared from Mikaelson's contempt for a man who had taken away the one thing he held closest to his heart - Klaus' mother.

Mikaelson had met and married a woman early on in his career who he vowed to be the love of his life. Shortly after they wed, she gave birth to Niklaus - the couple's first and only child. After several years of attempting to raise their son on her own while Mikaelson spent his days and nights engaging in a life of crime, Klaus' mother had finally had enough. She left his father for another man.

The other man was Elliot Richardson, a man who had worked hard to support himself since his teenage years. He was a good, honest person and he promised to look past his new wife's previous relationship as long as she vowed to separate herself from Mikaelson entirely. She agreed to allow the child she shared with Mikaelson to live with his father and to keep their interaction to a minimum. The new couple remained married for many years. They had four children - three boys and a girl. The oldest of the four was his father's namesake, Elliot Paul Richardson III, Trey for short. Throughout their childhood, Elliot's younger children gravitated toward their older half-brother Klaus despite their father's wishes, envying his lavish lifestyle and desiring to escape from the small three-bedroom apartment they were forced to reside in. Although Elliot lived a respectable life and he did all he could to support his family, he never quite felt he was good enough. He could not shake the feeling that he was living in the shadow of his wife's ex-husband. Trey was the only child he had who always seemed to be on his father's side, even when he and his mother would argue for days on end.

One day word got back to Elliot that his wife had returned to the arms of her ex-husband for several secret rendezvous over the past few months. His rage consumed him and he snapped, having reached the point of no return. During a confrontation one night he was unable to control himself - he shot and killed his wife in front of all four of his children.

Elliot tried to set a plan in motion to frame Mikaelson for the murder to buy himself time to figure out what to do. In the meantime during the investigation three of his children moved in with Klaus, who had just turned eighteen. Elliot had apparently begged them all to keep his secret for at least a little while to give him time to flee, insisting that if they loved him they owed him this much. The kids didn't understand but when news of their mother's disappearance started surfacing they never said a word. When Elliot's children moved out he had almost lost all hope - but at least he still had Trey, who was thirteen at the time. Trey remained with his father until the end. According to Trey's accounts to Klaus in the past, the last day that Trey ever saw his father was the day that Giuseppe Salvatore showed up at his house to kill him.

...

Damon found the article rather quickly and his eyes scanned briefly over the words. At one point he basically had this article committed to memory, but it had been many years since he had seen it now. Stefan and Jeremy had appeared in his doorway and Stefan approached him with caution.

"What is that?" he asked, knowing full well what it might be.

"Do you have the articles about Trey?" Damon ignored his question, delaying the truth for just a moment longer.

"Trey? Wait - so it's true?" Jeremy interjected, suddenly scared, "You did kill him..."

Damon and Stefan made eye contact. Damon looked back down at the article in his hands and followed Stefan as he walked into his room. Stefan opened his closet and took down a shoe box from the top shelf. After removing the lid he quickly found a stack of papers - newspaper clippings and Internet articles. He handed the findings to Damon, already knowing the end of the story.

Damon glanced over the first print-out. Strange feelings consumed him as he allowed himself to go back to that terrible night. He had made Stefan swear to never speak a word of what he had learned about Trey's personal life - where he had lived, how old he was, and especially the family he left behind. Of course he was unable to avoid hearing basic details - the boy's name was Elliot Richardson III, but he had always gone by Trey. He came from a large family and had been a member of his brother's local gang. That was more information than Damon had ever wanted to know about the man who's life he took and he could not understand Stefan's fascination with keeping these mementos. Now, as he looked at the paper before him his heart sank and he wished that he would have faced the facts along with Stefan months ago. If he knew then what he had just discovered now, all of this could have been avoided.

He stared down at the ink before him, almost wishing that staring would make it just disappear. "Elliot Richardson III is survived by four siblings: Kol Richardson, Elijah Richardson, Rebekah Richardson and a half-brother, Niklaus Mikaelson."

His hands started to shake and he finally raised his eyes to meet his brother's.

Stefan did not look as shocked as Damon felt and he simply said, "What Klaus told Jeremy is true, isn't it?" He did not need Damon to say a word. The answer was written all over his face. "Klaus' father is the man who killed our dad."


	18. Chapter 18

_Trey hid under the table in the kitchen, disguised by the tablecloth. He was so terrified that he had wet his pants, but he had no time to feel embarrassed. He kept his hand over his mouth to prevent any sound from escaping and watched the scene unfold before him. Two men had broken into his house and he did not recognize either one. He had just enough time to run into the kitchen and hide, but his dad had not been so lucky. The man who appeared to be in charge had a gun and he told Trey's father what he had come to do._

_"You have to pay for what you did to her," Giuseppe tried to sound threatening as he held the gun against Elliot's forehead, but even Trey could see the man's hand shaking from under the table and he knew, like his father did then, that there might be hope. The other man appeared to be slightly younger; he looked just as scared but he had no gun drawn. _

_"Please," Elliot pleaded through tears. Trey had never seen his father cry; it was at this point he decided to close his eyes, "Take what you want, you can have all my money. Just please let me go. I'll leave and no one will ever know," he pleaded, gesturing towards a safe on the kitchen counter next to the microwave._

_Giuseppe turned his attention to the safe. "Open it," he demanded, trying to buy himself some time. He had never killed anyone and he was not sure he would ever be able to live with himself if he went through with this. He had been entrusted by Mikaelson to get the job done, and he knew he did not have much of a choice. He followed Elliot to the safe and watched as he entered the combination. The door swung open to reveal a handful of money and a diamond larger than he had ever seen before. _

_"Take it," Elliot noticed that the diamond had caught his intruder's eye and he reached for the diamond and the money, shoving them into Giuseppe's chest. _

_Trey knew that the diamond had been his father's insurance policy. He had never bothered to ask about where the diamond had come from but he knew that his father would only cash it in in the event of a catastrophic emergency._

_Giuseppe held the findings in his hand, examining the diamond closely. He had no need for the money the diamond would bring, but he quickly put the pieces together as to why this man who lived in a small apartment with four children had not cashed in on his prize yet. The diamond must have belonged to Mikealson at some point. He rationalized that returning the diamond to Mikaelson might be a way to make up for the awful treachery he knew he was about to commit to one of his oldest and most dangerous friends. As he looked up at the poor man before him, father of four children (murderer or not) he knew for certain that he would be unable to go through with the plan. He lowered his gun._

_"What are you doing?" The man with him exclaimed, sounding more terrified than he looked. _

_Giuseppe thrust the pile of money at his partner and slid the diamond into his own pocket. "Leave town now and never show your face again. You got that?" He pulled Elliot in close by his shirt collar. When Elliot nodded and began mumbling thank you's, Giuseppe threw him to the floor of the kitchen. "I said now!" he growled, irritated with himself and wishing Elliot would just leave before he had time to change his mind. The other man in the room just stood there, watching their victim scramble on his knees out the door._

_"We killed him and we buried his body in the woods three hours from here," he said to his colleague, turning the gun to face him now. "Okay?"_

_The man held his hands up and nodded quickly, unable to protest. _

_The two exited the apartment with their loot. Trey stayed under the table all night, shaking and crying._

_..._

I could not help but find myself fascinated by the story that Klaus had begun to tell me. I had never imagined that so many people's lives were filled with such tragedy and heartache. For a split second I almost allowed myself to feel pity for Klaus and his family - but then I remembered where I was and how I had gotten here. So far the story had been very moving and dramatic: Klaus' father was a mob boss who fell in love with a woman who could not admit to herself or anyone else involved that she loved him back. Ultimately her indecision led to her untimely death. Her former ex-lover hired a hit man (who just so happened to be my ex-boyfriend's father) to avenge her murder. This sounded more like a romance novel than a crime investigation and I struggled to figure out how Stefan and Damon had anything to do with it. Sure, I knew the ending - the Salvatore brothers had indeed been responsible for Trey's death; but if Damon's story checked out it had nothing to do with the connection between the Salvatores and Klaus' father. I assumed that this was the reason I was here - to fit the loose pieces together for Klaus and his brothers and complete the gaps that they did not yet know for certain.

"That's awful, Klaus. But I still don't see how this has anything to do with Damon or Stefan. Who's to say they even know about your father and theirs being so connected?" This was the burning question in my mind ever since the story began to unravel. Surely they would have mentioned this to me at some point, especially after Damon told me about Trey. It would have made more sense to explain the connection between their family and his when the truth came out. I came to the conclusion that the brothers truly must not know that their father was a friend of Klaus' father and I wanted nothing more than to escape so I could warn them about his suspicions.

"Well, sweet pea, that's where you come in. I have to assume that they know all of this. They're the only ones in this pathetic town who have any connection to my family at all. When my brother mysteriously turns up murdered, who else would I point the finger at?" Klaus explained, "I need you to connect the dots for me. Tell me what you know."

I knew that there was no way I would lead on to any of the information he was after. I continued to play dumb, "This doesn't make any sense. You kidnapped me and have me locked in a hotel room to question me about this elaborate _assumption_ you've made? Why would Damon and Stefan even care about Trey? You said their dad let his dad escape. That's certainly not cause for murder."

"Oh, I forgot to mention the good part," Klaus stood up to kneel in front of me again. If my hands weren't tied I would have punched him with all of my strength. "When Salvatore pussed out, his little compadre ratted him out to my father. My father doesn't do well with betrayal," he smiled the most awful smile I had ever seen and I knew exactly what he meant. His father had been the one who murdered Damon and Stefan's father. I knew then with absolute certainty that they truly did not know anything about Klaus' father and I had to fight the urge now more than ever not to show any emotion for the situation. I kept my mouth shut, afraid of what I might say if I started to talk again. "Now I can wait all day, Elena. I can wait all week. Eventually you'll talk. The sooner you do, the sooner we can all get on with our lives. After all, you did say you were finished playing with the little boys' hearts, didn't you? You won't even miss them."

This was enough to cause me to lunge both of my legs forward in an attempt to kick him wherever I could reach. He dodged me easily and laughed. "Well, get comfy boys. We're going to be here a while."

...

Jeremy sat in the Salvatore living room hashing out everything the three of them knew. Damon and Stefan reluctantly told Jeremy the truth about Trey and established that the coincidental connection between Trey's family and their own must be the reason Klaus was so suspicious of them in the first place.

"What I still don't understand is why Trey chose our house of all places to break in to," Stefan pointed out. Something just was not clicking.

"I think I know," Damon furrowed his brow, anxious and tormented by having to share all of his secrets so openly all of a sudden. "There's something else I never told you. Before dad died he started acting really strange. He spent a lot of time with me and taught me things as if he knew he wasn't going to be around much longer. One of the first things he showed me was a box hidden under the floorboard in his closet..." he trailed off, allowing Stefan to take everything in, "It had a lot of money in it - he told me this would be our rainy day fund if we ever needed it," Damon had to laugh, knowing there was no way either of them could ever blow through their family's fortune in their own lifetime, "But there was something else. There was a diamond. He said it belonged to the man he worked for and that if we ever got into any trouble with him, to give him the diamond and tell him dad was sorry about everything."

Stefan's jaw hung open. He felt so lightheaded from the influx of information that he had to keep convincing himself that this entire day was not a dream. "How could you keep all this from me for so long?" he felt hurt and betrayed - it was his right just as much as Damon's to know the family secrets. If he had known sooner, they would have put all of this information together a long time ago and they could have prevented everything that had happened over the past few months.

"When was I supposed to tell you, Stefan? And how? 'Oh hey, little brother now that you've just been uprooted from your amazing foster family to come back to a house you don't remember with your shithead older brother, I might as well go ahead and tell you that our dad was murdered by a mob boss. Oh and before he died he showed me where a massive diamond was hidden in our house and told me to tell said boss that he was sorry. Welcome home!'" All of Damon's subdued frustration with himself had finally started to arise; but even more prevalent was the disappointment that he had felt for his father all of these years. He had to have known that whatever he had done would have consequences for his wife and children yet he selfishly did it anyway. The only thing that had helped Damon over the years was pretending none of it had ever happened and shutting everything out. The last thing he ever wanted was for Stefan to have to experience what he had struggled with for so long.

"God, you guys stop bitching! None of that matters now. We need to figure out a plan to get Elena back," Jeremy stood up, audibly frustrated and emotionally drained.

The brothers knew he was right; neither said another word for a few minutes. Almost as if on cue, Jeremy's cell phone dinged indicating a message had been received. He glanced down quickly and saw Klaus' name: "Had to take things into my own hands after all. Don't worry, she's fine. We're having a great time getting to know each other"

Grinding his teeth, Jeremy showed the message to Damon and Stefan. "What the hell are we supposed to do?" he exclaimed, exacerbated. "They could be anywhere!"

"Do you really think he would hurt her?" Damon asked cautiously, afraid of the answer.

Jeremy thought for a moment and answered honestly, "No. He's just a glorified bully. I think he's trying to get under your skin, but how are we supposed to just sit back and wait?" While he was speaking he had begun a text message to Klaus: "This isn't a joke. Let her go. You're not proving anything to anyone."

He never received a response back and by the time the sun started to set all he could do was go home. He had to think about when would be the appropriate time to tell Jenna, all the while hoping that maybe Klaus really would let her go before it got to that point.


	19. Chapter 19

Elena spent the night Friday with her hands still tied behind her back, leaning against the headboard of the bed while the brothers took turns watching her throughout the night. Klaus had left the room and at some point during the night Matthew entered the equation. When Elena saw him she sat up, unable to retrain herself. "You have got to be kidding me!" She screamed at him, not caring about the scene she might be causing.

Matthew looked at the other two men in the room cautiously before advancing towards her. As he got closer Kol straightened up and leaned forward, ready to stop him if he tried anything funny. Matthew sat on the foot of Elena's bed and looked down at his lap. "I'm so sorry, Elena. I had no idea this was their plan..." he whispered, although he knew the room was so small that whispering would do no good.

"What did you think was going to happen, Matthew? Look who you've chosen to hang around with!" She attempted once again to pull her hands apart from behind her back to no avail. "Get me out of here," she glared at him with the most hateful expression Matthew had ever seen. When he continued to frown and looked from her eyes back down to his lap she slammed her back against the headboard. "This is so ridiculous."

The truth was, after spending the last several hours with Klaus she had learned to read the real emotion in his eyes. She knew that neither he nor the other men in the room had any intention to harm her and it would only be a matter of time before they gave up. Surely they knew that sooner or later more people than just Damon and Stefan would find out she was missing and they would be caught eventually. Her biggest fear was that this was a trap to lead the Salvatore brothers straight into their clutches and although she knew she would leave unscathed, she was not sure so what would happen to Damon and Stefan if they stood face to face with Klaus and his brothers.

Matthew took Kol's seat at the table as Kol reluctantly agreed to resume Salvatore brother watch in Mystic Falls. Elena faded in and out of sleep throughout the night and much of the next morning. By the time she was fully awake it was close to noon. Klaus had appeared in the room again and he sat on the other bed watching her with a conspicuous smile.

"Good afternoon, doll," he moved to the edge of the bed and leaned closer to her. "Sleep well?"

Elena resumed her vacant expression and ignored his pointless question. "I have to pee," she stated bluntly, "Take this damn rope off of me. It's not like I can outrun three grown men."

Klaus studied her cautiously for a minute before deciding that she was probably right. "Fine," he sighed, "Matthew take her to the bathroom."

Matthew's jaw dropped, but he knew there was no point arguing. He approached Elena, who had turned sideways on the bed to allow access to her hands. He slowly untied the knot that held her hands in place. Before both hands had even been fully released she shook the rope off, raised her aching hand and slapped Matthew's face as hard as she could.

He moved backwards, taken completely by surprise. "Shit, Elena," he said, rubbing his face. "I guess I deserved that..."

Klaus and the other man in the room (who Elena had learned was Klaus' other half-brother, Elijah) had started to laugh uncontrollably. Elena bravely walked up to Klaus and stood as tall as she could in front of him, looking up into his face. He was not even deserving of her sore hand. "Go to hell," she spat and his laughing slowed.

Matthew had moved to the bathroom and was holding the door open. She met his eyes with hers and continued to shoot daggers with her glare. He closed the door behind them after she had entered. Instead of acknowledging Elena, he immediately reached into his coat pocket for his cell phone to text Jeremy and tell them their whereabouts. His heart sank when his hand came back empty and he checked every other pocket he had; his phone was nowhere on his person at all. Elena watched, knowing instantly what he was doing. She softened her expression, realizing suddenly that Matthew was just as helpless as she was to Klaus' command.

After Elena had finished (assuring that Matthew's face was shoved so far into the back of the door that he could not possibly be watching her) the two exited the bathroom. Klaus was leaning back against the headboard of the bed he had been sitting on, his legs up and ankles crossed. "Looking for this?" he smiled at Matthew and held his cell phone up into the air. Matthew could feel his face turning red; they must have taken it from his coat when he dozed off during the night. "I'm not an idiot, kid. You can't outsmart me," Klaus added, tossing the cell phone to Elijah who pocketed it quickly.

Matthew and Elena wisely decided to keep their mouths shut. He resumed a seat at the table next to Elijah and Elena hesitantly walked back to the bed she had been on. She sat down at the top of the bed, curled her legs up and turned away from the rest of the room. She was emotionally and physically drained and she had not slept more than 3 hours at a time all night. She stared at the wall ahead of her for a few minutes before allowing herself to drift back off to sleep.

She felt like she had only had her eyes closed for minutes when she was awoken by the sound of the hotel door closing. In reality it had been a few hours and it was now late afternoon. Startled and once again having to remember where she was, she sat up abruptly and looked around the room. Just inside the door stood a tall, gorgeous blonde woman. She threw her keys and purse onto the chair by the door as if she owned the place. "Hello, brother," Klaus was now standing in between the two beds. The smile on the woman's face as she approached him spoke volumes about the strange, twisted relationship she and Klaus must have. The smile quickly faded as she spotted Elena. She eyed her up and down and said coyly, "You must be the girl Damon was telling me about. I don't see what he's all torn up about," she grinned viciously, "But I completely see why you're so into him. He's really quite amazing in bed."

...

My stomach sank to the floor and I felt a deeper rage than I had experienced yet. I had no idea who this woman was or how she knew Damon, but she had hit a sore spot and it was all I could do to stop myself from lunging forward and pulling every strand of long, blonde hair out of her head. Instead I clinched my hands into fists at my side and took a moment to regain my composure. Whoever she was, she was obviously trying to get to me and I would not let her win.

"Ah, Rebekah. Always such an entrance," Klaus approached her with his arms folded across his chest.

Rebekah finally interrupted our eye contact to look at Klaus as he walked up beside me. He put his arm around my shoulders and I shrugged them off immediately, stepping to the side to avoid him. "So you found him, then?" Klaus continued, ignoring my reaction.

"Oh I found him," she laughed casually, "This has actually been the best project you've given me yet. And the easiest - a bit of a man whore, that one. I barely even had to use my charm," she looked at me and winked.

I nearly lost it, but Matthew had come up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders, giving them a tight squeeze as if to say that he was there and I needed to remain calm.

"Well get on with it, then. What did he tell you?" Klaus' eyes lit up.

Rebekah walked past me to the window and pulled back the curtain to look out, enjoying being in control for just a few moments. She sighed and turned back to the rest of us, "I got a confession, just like you asked me to. I mean, really Klaus? You've been here for how long and you've not figured anything out yet? It took me less than six hours," she acted as though this were just a normal sibling squabble.

Her response succeeded in making Klaus' cheeks turn the slightest bit red; this was the most uncouth I had seen him yet. It did not last long, however as his reaction quickly turned to relief. "Good job, little sister," he said finally, forcing a gracious smile.

He turned to me suddenly with his hand on his chin, index finger running over his lip contemplating something. He finally said, "Well, now what should I do with you? You really weren't much help at all. But this has been fun, don't you think?"

I bit my lip and did not say a word.

"It's really sad, you know, Nik. You've resorted to kidnapping a little girl just to piss off some punk brothers? This seems slightly... beneath you. Am I wrong?" Rebekah passed me again, looking me up and down more slowly than last time.

"Beneath me?" Klaus let out a hearty laugh and Rebekah's smile instantly faded, "Sort of like you being _beneath_ a random man last night? I don't think you have much right to judge me."

Rebekah's face turned bright red and I could tell she was angry. "I got what you needed, didn't I? How about a 'thank you'?"

"I'm so sorry. Where are my manners? _Thank you, _Rebekah for fucking the confession out of Damon. You can go home now," he and Rebekah were now face to face. I sensed that the rivalry between these two siblings had very deep roots. I found myself suddenly team Klaus, cheering inside with every jab that he made at her. I had not yet had time to let what she was saying about Damon sink in, but I knew already that I wanted her out of my sight.

"No," she smiled and turned away from him, walking to the bed I had been sitting on all night. She plopped down casually and took out her cell phone. "I think I'll hang around a while. Make sure everything goes smoothly."

Klaus' jaw tightened but he did not respond. He turned to Elijah, who was still sitting quietly at the table. "Where is Kol? He's been gone all day."

Elijah shrugged, "Hell if I know. He went out to follow the idiots when Matt came back last night," Before Klaus had a chance to start spouting orders, Elijah took out his cell phone and placed it to his ear. After a few seconds he lowered it again. "No answer."

"Damn it!" Klaus slammed his hand down on the table that the TV sat on beside him. "I didn't bring you morons here to go off wandering around town doing whatever you please. Go find him!" with that he walked into the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.

Elijah sighed and mumbled something under his breath before grabbing car keys and heading out the hotel door.

The room was awkwardly silent as Mathew, Rebekah and I all stared at one another. "So does Damon's baby brother know that you lost your virginity to his big bro last weekend?" Rebekah pretended to be interested but kept her attention on the phone in her hands.

"That's none of your business," I responded carefully.

Matthew looked at me helplessly and did not say a word.

"Hmm. Damon seemed to think so last night," she smiled again, eyes not moving from her phone.

"Screw you, bitch," I cursed before realizing what I was even saying. Matthew's eyes got large and Rebekah finally looked up at me, letting out a small laugh. Apparently that was enough to shut her up and she didn't say another word.

I heard the shower running in the bathroom a few seconds later and I knew that if I had a chance to escape, now would be it. I looked at Matthew and he seemed to share the same thought. He nodded and looked at Rebekah.

She caught on quickly and immediately started laughing. She set her phone down beside her and threw her legs off of the bed, standing up. She slowly walked over to us and stood for a moment, considering her options. "Well, this is a fun idea," she smiled, "I suppose I could let you leave. He did say you were no help..." She trailed off, walking backwards toward the hotel door. She put her hand on the knob and started to turn it slowly. "But," she stopped, letting her hand fall to her side. "What's in it for me?"

I let out the breath I had been holding and ran my hand through my hair, looking back at the bathroom to make sure the shower was still on. "What do you want? I don't have anything to give you," I said quietly. Very reluctantly I added, "Please, Rebekah."

"Well," she grabbed the handle again, this time pulling the door open slightly. "Since you asked so nicely..." She held the door open and gestured with her arm for me to pass.

I looked back at Matthew hesitantly. He looked from me to Rebekah and nodded his head. I walked slowly towards the door, expecting her to close it at any second. I stepped out of the hotel room into the hallway and I could barely believe my luck and the strange turn of events. Matthew stood inside the doorway, obviously torn between whether to stay or to leave with me.

"Well, go on. You wouldn't want to be here when I tell Klaus that you helped the girl escape," she continued to hold the door open, tapping her foot impatiently now.

Matthew made up his mind and exited the room quickly. Once in the hallway he put his hand on my shoulder and all but pushed me down the hallway, not looking back.

"Remember, you owe me one. Bye now!" Rebekah called after us and I heard the door close.

Matthew and I sped up, almost running to the nearest elevator. Once inside we looked at each other, still in complete and total shock. Unthinking, I jumped into his arms and hugged him. "Oh my god, Matt. What just happened?"

"I have no idea," he laughed with an excited nervousness and the elevator opened. We tried to appear as inconspicuous as possible as we rushed through the hotel lobby out into the parking lot. It was then that I remembered I had no idea where we were and that neither of us had cell phones or money. I looked at Matthew and he grabbed my hand, pulling me behind him as he ran to the road in front of us.

"Where are we?" I asked, out of breath from the excitement and the jogging.

"A few miles outside of the city," he answered, still running, "Let's just get as far away as we can and we'll figure out what to do."

That sounded like the best idea I had heard in a long time and I kept running beside him, adrenaline pumping. As I ran, all I could think about was how amazing it would feel to see Damon again.


	20. Chapter 20

Jeremy tried to sneak up to his room unnoticed but Jenna was waiting at the foot of the stairs, armed crossed. "What the hell is going on with you two? I am sick and tired of worrying all day where you and what you're doing! Neither of you answer your phones!" She looked less than pleased at having to discipline her teenage niece and nephew so often and Jeremy truly did feel terrible for what they had put her through so far. "Where's your sister?" she demanded, her face not lightening up any.

Jeremy had planned out an excuse on the drive over but he knew it would sound ridiculous. "I was hanging out with Damon at his house. She was over there with Stefan dealing with break up shit or whatever," he tried to avoid eye contact and began walking towards the stairs.

"Hold it!" Jenna moved in front of him, placing her hands on his shoulders. He was unable to avoid looking at her any longer and he was certain she could read the concern on his face. "Jeremy... Please talk to me."

"Jen, I told you. She's going through a lot right now and she wants to be left alone. I think she has some weird thing going on with Damon and she's just dealing with everything," he felt that if he led on to some top secret information she might back off.

He studied her face and watched as her expression finally changed from anger to frustration. "I just wish you guys would talk to me," she rubbed Jeremy's shoulders where her hands were resting and gave him a sideways smile.

He smiled back and stepped forward to hug her. "We don't want to bother you with our teenage drama," he tried to lighten the mood a little, "But we'll be fine, Jen. Promise." He pulled away and smiled again before passing her and heading upstairs.

Once in his room he closed the door, leaned back against it and let his legs fold underneath him. As he sank to the floor he thought that for the first time in a long while he might actually cry. All he could think about was how disappointed his parents would be if they knew that he was not taking care of his sister. He was lying to his aunt and he had gotten Elena into trouble. Just as he started to consider running back downstairs to tell Jenna everything that was going on, his phone started to vibrate in his pocket.

His heart rate sped up and he stood up to pull it out. It was a number he did not recognize but he answered quickly.

"Jer?" hearing Elena's voice nearly made the tears that he was holding in spill from eyes.

"Elena! God, are you okay? Where are you?" he demanded, pushing the phone as close to his ear as he could so as not to miss a word.

"I'm fine," she spoke quietly. "I'm with Matt, we just got into the city. We don't have any money or our phones," she explained.

Jeremy let out a long breath, "Give me a location, I'm on my way."

"We're downtown at Starbucks on Main Street. We'll wait here. Thanks Jer," she sounded just as relieved as Jeremy felt.

He threw open the door and ran down the stairs. He heard Jenna's voice behind him as he ran out the front door but did not want to stop to think of a way to explain where he was going now. He had borrowed her car earlier in the day (much to her dismay - he only had his learner's permit) and he figured that a few more hours wouldn't hurt. Before Jenna had time to catch up to him he had gotten back into her car and pulled off down the street.

Once on the road he pulled out his cell phone and hesitated, trying to decide if he should call Damon or Stefan's phone. He decided that it would not appear strange to Stefan if he called Damon considering the odd friendship the two of them had before he and Elena had hooked up so he dialed his number.

"Please tell me you found her..." Damon answered after the first ring.

"I found her," Jeremy could not contain his relief and was excited to share the good news.

"Jesus," Damon sighed as if he had been holding his breath for hours, "Is she okay? Where is she?"

"She sounded fine. She's with Matt downtown in the city at a Starbucks," Jeremy explained quickly, "I'm going to get her. Do you guys want to-"

"Come here, I'll take us. The last thing you need to do is get caught driving," Damon sounded just as relieved as Jeremy felt.

Jeremy was already headed towards the Salvatore estate. He and Damon ended their conversation and he had to refrain from speeding to get there - Damon was right, a visit from the police was nothing he wanted to deal with right now. He arrived at their house within a few minutes. The brothers were waiting in the driveway and they sped off towards the city as soon as Jeremy got into Damon's car.

...

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Klaus screamed, slamming the bathroom door against the frame as he exited. "I'm gone for ten minutes and once again you manage to screw up everything!"

Rebekah remained as aloof as possible, stretched out the bed with her cell phone in hand. "I was hungry, Nik. I went to the vending machine. How was I supposed to know the kid was going to let her go? I thought he was one of your minions."

Klaus reared back and punched a hole in the wall next to the bathroom door, all but growling with frustration.

"That'll cost you," Rebekah tried to hide her smile but was unsuccessful.

"Get out!" Klaus turned to his sister, his hands still balled into tight fists. He was not sure how much longer he could restrain himself.

Since they were children, Rebekah always interfered in Klaus' life where she did not belong. More importantly, the way that she resembled their mother and also the man who murdered her brought a deep-rooted anger inside of Klaus to the surface every time he saw her face. It had been that way since his mother's death and though he knew it was a ridiculous notion, it made him resent her just that much more. Calling her to help in the first place had been an absolute last resort and although she had succeeded in getting a confession, he regretted it from the minute she stepped foot in the hotel room.

Rebekah stood up casually, sliding her phone into her back pocket. "God, let it go Nik. What were you planning on doing? Killing her? Keeping her as your new pet? She probably wasn't even housebroken," she could not help but laugh at her little joke and she picked up her purse from the chair.

"I said get out," his face was still tightly wound but his hands now hung loosely at his sides.

Just as Rebekah went to reach for the door the click of a hotel card resonated in the silence and the door flew open, nearly knocking her down. Elijah rushed in, face red and sweating. He stood completely still and silent for a moment looking as if he had seen a ghost.

"What, Elijah?" Klaus yelled, still frustrated and dreading what news his brother was about to bring to him.

"Kol... he's..." he stammered, out of breath and flustered.

"He's what, damn it!" Klaus stepped towards him, anger turning slowly to fear.

"I think he's dead, Nik. I think he's fucking dead."

...

Matthew and I sat at a table by a window in the coffee shop, feeling strange for only having waters in front of us but at the same time feeling accomplished and proud at our not-so-daring escape. We were exhausted from having run nearly two miles and walk another five to make it into the city from the hotel. We could not believe we had not been followed and that we appeared to be in the clear. It did not feel strange at all that neither of us has said a word to one another the entire time we had been together, but suddenly sitting here in a crowded location feeling like escaped convicts began to make the situation feel surreal.

"So Damon, huh?" Matthew broke the silence. He had an awkward smile on his face but his eyes were still clouded with confusion and weariness.

Unable to argue after the experience we had just gone through together I allowed myself to smile back. "Yeah, guess I was wrong. Turns out I do like bad boys after all," I hoped that this joke would not come off as rude to Matthew considering where it came from, but I had a feeling nothing so trivial as an unrequited crush mattered much to him anymore.

"Bummer. My loss, I guess," he looked down at his water, still smiling.

I was quiet for a few minutes before I added, "Matt, Stefan doesn't know about me and Damon..." now I was staring into my water, tracing the rim with my finger.

"Secret's safe with me," he said before I could even ask. "Least I could do after... you know, all this," he gestured around and I knew exactly what he meant.

We did not talk again for the next forty-five minutes and time seemed to be at a stand still. Finally, I looked up at the door when I heard the bell ding as I had done for the past fifteen minutes and could not help but jump up when I saw the three men I had been waiting to see all day. Everyone in the coffee shop stared at me as I ran to greet them at the door, nearly jumping into Jeremy's arms to hug him.

"You have no idea how good it is to see your face!" I squeezed him as tight as I could, forgetting for the time being that he had been the one to get us involved in this mess in the first place.

"Likewise," he pulled away and smiled at me with an emotion I had rarely seen from him. The way he looked now reminded me so much of our father and tears formed behind my eyes.

I broke our sibling bonding moment to look over at Damon and Stefan. I felt a strange urge to hug both of them and was not sure where I should begin. Stefan stepped forward first so I threw my arms around his neck. Truthfully, seeing his face brought back mixed emotions inside me and I realized I really had been thinking about him quite a bit over the past 24 hours.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he continued to hug me as I started to pull away and I stood there for another minute, taking in all of the strange feelings surrounding the situation. "What happened, Elena? Where did they find you?"

I stepped away and met Damon's eyes. He looked just as torn as I felt and I forced myself to respond to Stefan instead of doing what I truly wanted to do in that moment. "I'll tell you everything later. Can we please go home?"

"I don't think home is the best place to go right now," Stefan frowned, undoubtedly unsure of how I would react to his protective stance. He continued before I could object: "We talked about it and we think you and Jeremy should stay at your lake house for a while. Just until this whole thing blows over."

I had no energy to argue and honestly a getaway sounded pretty amazing. I nodded and thread my arm through Jeremy's, resting my head on his shoulder. I felt like I needed to grab hold of something to keep me in place or else I might reach out and touch Damon in front of Stefan. Damon appeared to understand and the look in his eyes told me he felt the same.

We left the coffee shop and started to walk down the street to Damon's car. Everyone was silent now; Matthew and Damon had not said a word but I think we all were grateful. The lake house would be another half an hour drive from here. As soon as I sat down in the back seat of Damon's car and closed the door, I felt a wave of exhaustion rush over me. There was a jacket on the floorboard below me and I picked it up, trying not to appear obvious to Stefan. I covered myself with it letting Damon's scent calm me as I drifted off to sleep.


	21. Chapter 21

My body responded to the car coming to a stop and I awoke from my short nap. It was dark outside but I knew right away that we had made it to the lake house. Still holding Damon's jacket across my chest I exited the back seat.

"Nice place," Stefan noted, taking in the scenery.

I was still too emotionally and physically drained to respond; all I wanted was to be inside in a familiar bed and sleep until I had the strength to think again. I barely even considered that this would be the first time I had ever been here without my parents and I surely did not want to let my nostalgia get in the way of the imminent relaxation ahead of me.

Jeremy found the hidden key under a strategically placed rock in the flowerbed and the five of us went inside. The temperature was very cold but I instantly felt warm inside as soon as the door closed behind us.

"Just like we left it," Jeremy stood next to me and put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close for a sideways one-armed hug. I could tell that he was a little more emotional than I was about being here but I didn't have the energy to press the issue.

Damon and Stefan stood awkwardly in the small living room, looking around casually. Matthew was still standing in the foyer by the front door.

"There are four bedrooms," I informed them, breaking the awkward silence. "One of you will have to sleep on the couch."

"I don't mind," Damon spoke for the first time all night. His voice was very quiet and he made eye contact with me quickly.

I smiled at him in a way that I hoped would translate into expressing some hint of the emotion I had been feeling towards him. His eyes lit up just slightly and he smiled back, a sort of sexy, half-way nervous sideways smile. I could feel my heart rate increase and I looked away quickly.

"Let's all get some sleep. We'll figure out what's going on in the morning," Stefan announced and I was grateful.

"I texted Jenna and told her where we are," Jeremy said to me as we walked up the stairs to our bedrooms. "She's really upset, Elena. We have to tell her what's going on tomorrow. I don't think she can handle this much longer."

I sighed as we reached the bedroom that I had picked out for myself so long ago. "You're right. Tomorrow," I hugged him and opened the door. "Night, Jer."

Without waiting to see if anyone else had followed us upstairs or wanted to speak with me I entered the room and closed the door behind me. The room was sparsely decorated with hints of my childhood preferences. The walls were a light pink and the bedspread was covered with gardens of pastel flowers. There were pictures on the dresser of my family from years ago; out on the lake, picnics in the grass, and even pictures in the snow from winter getaways. I picked up a picture of my dad and I standing on the dock. I must have been around six or seven; he was pointing to a group of ducks on the horizon and I had the biggest smile on my face. Judging by the angle I assumed that the picture must have been taken by my mother standing on the shoreline. A single tear came to my eye and fell slowly. I watched it drop onto the picture in my hand and wiped it away with my thumb, returning the picture to the dresser. I removed my shoes, shirt, and pants and crawled under the covers. There were a few stuffed animals on the bed and I snuggled up to a pink bear, feeling incredibly childish but not caring in the least. A few more tears escaped almost unnoticed before I drifted off to sleep.

...

Klaus stood completely silent in front of Elijah, as pale as his brother had ever seen him before. He blinked several times in quick succession and was unknowingly biting his inner lip.

"What... did you just say?" he stepped closer to Elijah, almost in a threatening stance.

"I went by the Salvatore place. I could see them both inside but Kol's car was nowhere around. I drove by some bars and still couldn't find him. When I was on my way to the Gilbert house to see if he was there I passed the park," he spoke quickly; almost inaudible through the stammering, "There were cop cars everywhere and a hundred people standing around. I went to go see what was going on and... and I saw Kol's car in the parking lot. The whole area was roped off and an officer was taking inventory of the car..." he waited for Klaus to understand what he was saying.

"Did you ask them what happened, you moronic imbecile?!" Klaus had stepped away from Elijah, body language eased just slightly but expression still clearly frustrated.

Elijah knew not to be too concerned about his brothers' anger; this was how he had always reacted to stress. "Yes," he answered, ignoring the rude remark, "The cops wouldn't tell me anything. They said a man had been found bleeding in the woods and they hadn't identified any of the parties involved," he explained; Klaus' eyes fell to the floor, staring blankly as if deep in thought. "I asked one of the people who had been standing there watching and she said she heard a guy was stabbed to death...I freaked out and came back here."

Klaus' gaze returned to Elijah and then moved quickly to Rebekah, who was standing in the doorway with both hands covering her mouth. Her eyes were wide and the color of her cheeks rivaled both of her brothers.

"But you don't know for sure that anyone died?" She interjected, suddenly hopeful.

"No, but-" Elijah responded thoughtfully.

"And you don't even know if Kol was involved, let alone that he was the victim?" Klaus interrupted.

"No...but I'm telling you Nik, I felt it. I felt something bad," Elijah looked from Klaus to Rebekah, trying to express how serious he felt about this notion.

"Damn it!" Klaus kicked a bottle of water that had fallen off the dresser after he had slammed the bathroom door. The top exploded off of it and water covered the carpet. "Get in the car. We're going to get some answers," he held the door open and nearly shoved both Elijah and Rebekah outside into the hallway. "I swear to God, if I find out that a Salvatore was within 20 miles of that park I am going to make sure their names are nothing more than a memory to this fucking town and everyone in it!"

...

Damon stared at the popcorn ceiling above him in the living room of the Gilbert lake house. It had been at least two hours since the house had quieted entirely and although the heater had kicked on he still shivered beneath the small blanket. He knew he would not be able to sleep here; not with Elena so close but still so far away. He contemplated for several more minutes whether or not he should go up to her room but he decided she might still need space and he did not want to push her any further away. Giving up on sleep, he stood and walked through the kitchen to the bay window facing the lake. It was too dark to see much, but a few lights on the water allowed him to see how far the lake was from the house. He retrieved his jacket from the living room where Elena had left it, slid his shoes on and went out the back door as silently as possible. The temperature outside did not feel much colder to him than he had been inside. He found a cemented path and walked carefully down to the dock. A small boat floated beside it, tied tightly to the wood posts on the left. The dock had wooden benches built into the right side and he sat down on one, enjoying the serenity of the water splashing below him. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, feeling more at peace than he had all day.

He stayed there for another hour, fading in and out of consciousness. He was eventually startled out of a very light sleep by the sound of a female voice.

"Damon?" There was no mistaking that this was the voice he had hoped to hear say his name for the past week and he considered for a moment if he might be dreaming. Elena stood at the foot of the dock, blanket covering her shoulders but still shivering. "What are you doing out here?" she asked in a whisper.

"De-stressing?" he answered, not sure how appropriate the response was.

He could see her face relax slightly. "I thought you left," she walked slowly onto the dock and he stood up to meet her.

"I wouldn't leave you again," he said quietly, wanting to touch her but unsure if she wanted the same.

She just nodded and looked down at her feet. "Klaus told me about what happened to your dad," she admitted, still staring at the ground.

Damon sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Seeing her standing here so vulnerable and so cold was nearly too much for him. He wanted to suggest they go inside but knew that if they did they would have to go back to their facade of an awkward friendship. "I'm sorry about this, Elena. I never wanted to involve you."

She finally looked up at him, eyes questioning. "Is it true? I mean, did you know about Klaus' dad when Trey broke into your house that night?" she asked cautiously.

"No," Damon responded quickly, trying to figure out if she thought he was lying to her - if she had actually considered that he had killed Trey on purpose. "I had a newspaper article about the man who killed my dad. All I had was a name and it had no significance to me whatsoever. I thought Trey was just a random burglar. I didn't know he was related to him in any way. I knew Trey's last name but of course it was different from Klaus' dad... Stefan kept all the stories about Trey's family but I never wanted to see any of them. If I had, I would have figured it all out sooner. He showed them to me yesterday and I saw Klaus' name. That's the first time I made the connection," he watched her reaction, unable to decide if she believed him or not. "I swear, Elena. I had no idea."

"I believe you," she nodded and looked away again. "So Trey must have known, then. Surely it was no coincidence that he just happened to break into your house. What was he after?"

Damon looked out at the reflection of the moon in the water. "My dad showed me where he had hidden a diamond in our house before he died. I guess it belonged to Klaus' dad. Not sure why Trey wanted it."

Elena looked back at Damon, more curious than before. "He didn't tell me that part," she whispered, slightly intrigued.

"Maybe he doesn't know," Damon suggested with a shrug.

Elena nodded again and stared at the same spot in the water that Damon was looking at. They were quiet for a few moments until Damon finally turned to her. "I'm so sorry about last weekend, Elena. I didn't understand why you left and after your text I thought-"

"Don't apologize," she interrupted and Damon quieted quickly, nervous about what that comment meant. "I pushed you away, I know. It was my fault. I was just confused," she looked into his troubled eyes and felt terrible all over again.

After a few seconds had passed he asked, "Are you still confused?"

She allowed herself to smile slowly and she stepped closer to him. When she reached for his hand he felt warmth overwhelm his body and the shivering stopped completely. The only thing he could feel now was the rapid beating of his heart and the heavy rise and fall of his chest with each breath. "No," she answered finally. "I know what I want."

Without waiting for an explanation he put his hand on her lower back and pulled her close, kissing her with all the ferocity of the built up frustration and regret he had felt for the past week. She wrapped her arms around his neck, melting into his embrace and not caring for one second who might be watching them.

When they finally pulled apart their eyes blazed with passion and relief. Damon ran a hand through her hair and they could not look away from one another. "How are we going to make this work?" he hated to come back to reality in light of the fairytale moment they had just shared; but the truth was, Stefan was only feet away from them right now and he knew they could not just waltz inside holding hands and go to bed together.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully, "But we'll find a way. It's just going to take some time. I don't think he needs to know right away."

Damon knew exactly whom she was referring to and he looked up at the house, almost as if he expected Stefan to be standing in the window. The house remained dark however and he looked back down at Elena. "I agree. We'll figure this out, okay?" he smiled reassuringly at her and tucked her hair behind her ear.

Elena blushed slightly at the tenderness of the moment and nodded. "We should go back in before anyone else wakes up."

He nodded in agreement and took her hand, if only for another few moments. They walked back up the path and into the dark kitchen. He walked her to the stairs and she turned hesitantly to him before dropping his hand. She leaned up and kissed his cheek; it would not feel right to do anything more being so close to the man she once cared so deeply for. They whispered their goodnights and she returned to her bedroom upstairs. Once Damon's head hit the cushion on the couch sleep found him instantly and he did not awaken once more all night.


	22. Chapter 22

Klaus and company pulled into the lot at the park and skidded to a stop near a small group of people. The police were sparse now and the crowd had mostly dispersed. Klaus threw the door open and ran to the edge of the yellow crime tape. "What happened?" he asked a man who was observing the scene.

"Someone was stabbed," he answered casually as if they were discussing the weather. "They just took him away in an ambulance."

"Do they know who it was?" Klaus' voice sounded almost like he were insisting rather than asking.

The man looked up at him with an inquisitive stare and hesitated before he responded. "Apparently the guy who owns that car," he answered finally, nudging his head in the direction of Kol's car behind the tape.

Without considering the consequences, Klaus lifted up the crime tape and stepped under, running to his brother's vehicle. He put his hands on the glass and looked inside for any clue as to why Kol might have been here or who he might have been with.

"Hey, you can't be here!" a police officer spotted him from a few feet away and jogged over to where he was standing, lightly grabbing him by the arm. "Sir, you need to remain behind the tape."

"This is my brother's car," Klaus pulled his arm away from the officer's grasp and glared angrily at him, acting as if the officer should have known.

The officer was silent for a few seconds and finally responded, "This is a crime scene, sir. Your brother has been transported to Memorial Hospital. You need to back away from the vehicle."

Klaus' anxiety lowered as he realized that there may still be hope. He stomped away briskly back to where Rebekah and Elijah stood on the other side of the yellow line.

The officer followed, calling after him, "Sir! I need to ask you some questions!"

Klaus ignored him and continued walking to where he had stopped his car in the middle of the lot. Rebekah and Elijah followed suit. Once in the car they peeled away, leaving the officer in the rear view mirror. The three were silent as they drove to the hospital, all of them coming up with their own assumptions and possible endings but all hoping for the best outcome. They walked quickly into the lobby once they arrived and informed the receptionist who they were here to see. She eyed them nervously and paged for a nurse.

"Someone will be with you in just a moment," she said quietly and looked back down at her charting.

Trying to keep his cool, Klaus began pacing back and forth in the waiting room. The other visitors in the room watched the odd group of siblings wearily and the room was nearly dead silent. Finally, after about fifteen minutes a male nurse entered the room and called the three back behind the double doors.

"What happened?" Klaus demanded, walking alongside of the nurse.

"I'm not his nurse, sir. I'm just showing you to his room. The doctor will be there and he can explain the extent of his injuries," the man appeared to be slightly defensive at Klaus' attitude and continued walking as if he dealt with these situations all day.

Elijah and Rebekah followed behind, glancing nervously at one another. At one point Rebekah reached over and grabbed Elijah's hand, giving it a quick squeeze. They knew not to show too much of their full-blooded bond in front of Klaus, as he had always been sensitive to the fact that he was an outsider among the siblings.

They finally reached a room numbered 352 and the nurse knocked before opening the door a crack. He whispered something to whoever was inside and turned back around. "Only one visitor inside the room at a time, please."

Klaus looked briefly at Rebekah and Elijah as if seeking permission and they nodded cautiously. He entered the room slowly, more serene than he had been in hours. The first thing he saw were three people standing over a hospital bed. He assumed the man with the white coat was a doctor and the two women who were attending to IV bags and beeping machines must be nurses. As he neared the bed he saw his brother lying there, eyes closed but chest raising and falling. Although he had known for several minutes now that his brother was surely not dead as Elijah had predicted, he had apparently still needed the validation of seeing it for himself. He sighed with relief and approached the bedside. Kol's face looked untouched but he could see blood stains on the white sheets beneath the covers. His arm was outside of the blanket wrapped in gauze. The closer he got, the more visible Kol's chest became and he noticed for the first time the top of a large white bandage emerging just underneath where the covers were drawn.

"I'm Dr. Tanner. Are you family?" The doctor asked in a precautionary tone.

All Klaus could do was nod his head; he had suddenly fallen speechless as a rush of emotions flooded through him. Since he stepped foot in the hospital all he could think about was how much regret he would have if he never got to see his brother again. He had always treated all of his half-siblings like members of a gang rather than members of his family. Trey's death changed that for a few weeks but he fell back into his old ways shortly after. He had always been closer to Kol than to Trey however, and he vowed that he would turn over a new leaf with his brother if he were given a second chance.

"The patient suffered multiple puncture wounds," the doctor explained, lifting the covers back fully to demonstrate. Klaus' breath caught in his throat as he saw the bloody bandages covering his brother's naked chest. Seeing his reaction, the doctor covered his chest back up. "They appear to be from a knife of some sort. According to the police there were no weapons found at the scene, so we're unsure of the exact nature of the wounds. He lost a great deal of blood and the object punctured one of his lungs. Other than that most of the wounds appear to be relatively close to the surface and should just require some stitching. He should make a full recovery."

Klaus felt tears sliding down his cheeks and he did not care how unmanly he might appear. He reached down to grab Kol's hand and continued to stare at his face, willing him to open his eyes.

"How did this happen?" he wiped his eyes with the back of his arm and glanced back at the doctor.

Dr. Tanner's face was full of sympathy and he frowned before responding, "I'm unsure of any other details. The police should be able to clue you in to their findings."

As if on cue a knock resounded from the door and a uniformed officer entered the room, hat in hand. "Sir, we need to ask you and your family a few questions."

Klaus looked back at the doctor then down at Kol. He squeezed his brother's hand one more time, made sure his face was dry and he exited the room behind the officer.

...

Damon woke up to voices in the kitchen behind him. He groaned and rolled over, nearly falling off of the couch. He sat still for a few moments listening to the conversation.

"I told her you were fine but she wanted you to call her when you woke up. She said we either need to come home or she's coming here..." the voice belonged to Jeremy.

Damon stood up slowly, stretched his limbs and tousled his hair before entering the kitchen. Jeremy, Stefan and Elena sat around the breakfast table with coffee in hand. Damon walked over to the boiling pot and began to pour himself a cup; he was usually not a coffee drinker but this morning nothing sounded better.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking at the three seated at the table.

"Jenna called while I was asleep," Jeremy answered, "Sheriff Forbes delivered Elena's car to our house via tow truck this morning. She said she thought we'd appreciate the delivery rather than having to pick the car up at the junk yard."

Damon's eyes widened and he lowered the coffee cup from his lips. "Shit," he almost smiled at the absurdity of the situation. Jenna's scorn seemed much more trivial than the other events that had occurred this weekend.

"Yeah," Jeremy scoffed, "They found the keys in the grass. Thank God no one stole it."

As Jeremy finished updating Damon on the current situation Matthew entered the kitchen, looking like he felt slightly out of place. He flashed a quick smile at everyone in the room and walked to the coffee pot next to Damon.

"So I guess we have a lot to talk about," Jeremy initiated after a few seconds of awkward silence.

Damon looked over at Elena who looked up from her coffee at just the same moment. Their eyes met briefly and they both looked away, feeling as though Stefan might be suspicious from even a subtle glance.

"So what happened, Elena? Where did they find you and where did they take you?" Stefan asked quietly, curiosity obviously burning inside him.

Elena inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled slowly before beginning. "I was out for a drive," she hoped that her body language would not give away the small fib, "I must have run over some glass or something. I got a flat tire and when I went to look at it, they had pulled up and were standing outside my door," everyone was silent, urging her to continue. She decided to leave out some of the gory details and finished: "They took me to a hotel outside of the city. I don't even know which one, but Matt was there. He knows the rest."

Matthew's face turned a deep shade of crimson and he nearly choked on the sip of coffee in his throat. "You guys, I'm really sorry. I know this is all my fault. I wanted to keep you all out of it but when Klaus gets an idea in his head..." he drifted off.

No one said a word; Matthew had half expected at least some sort of condolence but his feelings were not hurt in the least when he did not receive it.

Just as Damon was about to begin encouraging Elena to delve into the details of Klaus' suspicions, the front door swung open. Jenna stood in the doorway, staring down the hallway into the kitchen at the group of unlikely friends assembled before her. "Surprise," she smiled almost sarcastically and entered the house, walking slowly into the kitchen.

Elena and Jeremy stood up when they saw her and Elena could not help but run to hug her, despite how angry she knew her aunt must be with her. "I've been so worried about you," Jenna said, her face immediately softening as she placed a hand on the back of Elena's head.

"I'm so sorry, Jen," seeing her aunt was all it took for Elena to burst into tears. Jeremy stood up and joined the hug; Damon and Stefan both leaned forward slightly, almost as if they were fighting the urge to hug her as well. Matthew, on the other hand, stepped backwards to the corner of the kitchen, sipping his coffee and remaining completely silent.

After Elena had calmed down she and Jeremy returned to the table. Stefan stood up to allow Jenna to sit as well. After an agreeable glance between the siblings, Elena looked up at the other three men in the room. "Guys, I think it's best if you go. Jenna can take us home."

Damon's heart sank as the word's left her mouth but he knew she was right. He put an arm on Stefan's shoulder and nodded in Elena's direction. Stefan boldly walked to Elena's chair and bent down to give her a quick hug. "Please call me. One of you," he added, looking at Jeremy. Elena did not say a word but Jeremy nodded in acknowledgement.

The three men said their goodbyes, gathered their belongings and left the Gilbert family to hash out all of the details of the past several months' events.


	23. Chapter 23

Klaus sat in a cushioned chair next to his brother's bed, elbows on his knees and hands clasped together. Rebekah sat in another chair behind him under a window; Elijah paced back and forth at the foot of the bed, rambling likely explanations.

"Just stop it," Klaus looked at Elijah in a way that made his brother's face fall and his mouth hang open. "He'll tell us what happened when he wakes up."

Klaus was trying very hard to stick by his promise to remain calm and treat his family with respect, but after being questioned for hours by several different police officers and having spent a sleepless night in his brother's hospital room waiting for him to open his eyes to no avail he was getting very impatient and cranky. Doctors and nurses had come into the room throughout the night checking monitors and inserting vials into IV pumps. They assured the distressed family that this was a normal reaction to so much blood loss and that their brother would surely awaken soon. As the sun rose Sunday morning, Klaus found himself fighting the urge to get up and shake Kol awake himself.

"I'm going to get food," Elijah announced after a few minutes of silence. Klaus did not look up but Rebekah stood, indicating that she would be joining him. "What do you want us to bring you?" Elijah asked cautiously, not wanting to cause his hot-tempered brother to snap.

"I'm not hungry," Klaus lied. In reality everyone in the room could hear his stomach growling, but the idea of eating made him feel even more nauseous than he already was.

"Suit yourself," Rebekah picked her purse up off of the floor and the two left the room, closing the door quietly behind them.

Klaus relaxed back into the chair when he heard the clasp click in the door. He had been in the same chair all night and he only now realized how sore his body was. He stood up, stretched, and walked to the window. He looked out at the courtyard in the middle of the hospital; multicolored flowers galore and a cement walkway that wound in intricate ways through small trees and bushes. He watched an elderly woman with a walker make her way slowly to a bench to sit down, enjoying the serenity no doubt. As he began to wonder if he would ever be the kind of person who enjoyed courtyard gardens, he heard a groan coming from behind him. He turned around quickly and saw Kol stirring slightly, his eyes barely open.

"Kol," he tried his best to put his emotionless armor back on in the presence of family as he had always done, but he was certain he had let some excitement escape in his voice.

"Ah, Jesus," Kol groaned louder than before and blinked his eyes up at Klaus, then looked down at his arm.

"Don't," Klaus tried to stop Kol from lifting the covers with his free hand but he had already begun; he saw the bandages and groaned again, letting his head fall back onto the pillow and shutting his eyes tight. The bandages were clean now (not like when Klaus saw for the first time yesterday) but Klaus knew the reality of the situation had hit his brother hard. He was unsure if the reaction came from pain or from disbelief.

"What the hell happened..." Kol said quietly, not so much a question but more of a reflection. His eyes remained closed for a few more seconds then he finally made eye contact with his brother, who was speechless beside the bed.

"You don't remember?" Klaus asked finally, his mouth suddenly dry. He felt very strange about the emotions battling inside of him - one part of him wanted to reach out and hug his brother, thankful for the chance to do so again; but the overwhelming tough-skinned, manly older brother part would not allow him to get any closer than he stood now.

"Yes," Kol nodded with a vacant stare, contemplating before he continued, "I mean, I don't know. I think so," he sighed and closed his eyes again, this time not opening them back.

"We can talk about it later," Klaus offered, although he wanted more than anything to find out once and for all what had happened to his brother and he truly could not fathom waiting any longer.

Kol nodded, indicating that he had heard Klaus and neither one of them said another word. By the time Elijah and Rebekah entered the room Kol was asleep again.

...

Jenna, Jeremy and I sat outside the lake house on the dock, dangling our legs off of the side but not quite touching the icy water. We were silently reflecting on the influx of information we had all received over the past 48 hours - Jenna most of all. When she found out what we had been secretly going through for the past several weeks she indicated that she felt betrayed and most of all worried. At first she scolded us, but after realizing that maybe we truly were turning into adults (whether she liked it or not) she eased up and promised we could talk to her from here on out about anything and everything.

We had been completely silent for about ten minutes, staring out into the blueish green water and all undoubtedly thinking different scattered thoughts. Jenna was the first to break the silence. "So, what's this rumor I hear about you and Damon?" she smiled at me, obviously hesitant about the inquisition.

Despite myself, I could not help but smile at the mention of his name. The truth was, I had wanted to share my feelings about Damon with Jenna ever since I first started to experience them but I had been too ashamed. The fact that now she had a smile on her face told me that maybe she would approve.

"Depends. What have you heard?" I teased, eying Jeremy suspiciously. He shrugged and tried hard to hold back a smile, but it escaped anyway.

"Not too much, just that you may have a 'thing' going on," she bumped her shoulder against mine and I felt my cheeks turn red.

"Not a 'thing', just... I don't know. I don't want to have feelings for him, but there's just something about him. I can't help it," this was the most honest I had been with myself in weeks and it felt good to finally admit it to someone else.

"I always thought he was cuter," Jenna raised her eyebrows at me, bumping my shoulder again. I had no response and we fell silent again, the smile slowly fading from Jenna's face. I knew without asking what she was thinking; Jeremy's face had the same expression. Before I could object she said, "I just don't know about him though, Elena. I mean, not just because I know what happened now. I've always had a weird feeling about him. Like he's more trouble than he's worth. I understand why he did what he did and I actually commend him for having so much loyalty to his family, but-"

"Jenna," I scooted backwards and turned my entire body to face hers, "Stop. I know this already, I don't need a lecture."

"Sorry. But seriously, what happened with Stefan anyway? I liked him for you, and he definitely has the better personality of the two," she thought this was only a joke, but she obviously did not realize just how touchy the subject was for me.

I stood up quickly, not wanting to listen to any more reason. I had a feeling if I stayed here any longer Jeremy would jump on the bandwagon. "I cheated on him, Jenna. That's what happened. I obviously wasn't happy with him and I don't think it's any of your business who I date." I stormed off towards the house, arms crossed and feeling more like a normal teenager than I had in a long time. As much as I missed the feeling, I hated that I had to be this girl - the one who had to defend her choice in men to those closest to her. As I neared the house with Jenna calling my name behind me, I began to consider if this was a battle I really wanted to fight with my family. Was it normal to be defending a relationship that had barely even started, and would it be this way forever with Damon? Would all this be worth it?

...

Kol drifted in and out of sleep the rest of the morning. By late afternoon he finally awoke fully and a nurse helped to sit him up in bed. Seeing him grimace in pain was almost too much for Klaus to handle; he could not wait to find out who was responsible for this and return the favor, whether Kol wanted him to or not. After a light lunch in awkward silence with his siblings staring at him as if he were a captive animal, Kol finally offered to explain what had happened. His siblings leaned in closer instinctively, a captivated audience.

"I had been around the corner watching the Salvatore house all morning. The Gilbert kid came over and I saw him talking to the younger one through the window. I didn't see Damon inside. They left the house at some point together and I went to go get some food. When I came back, there was a red Mercedes in front of their house. A guy was driving... he looked like he was nervous about something. He drove away after a few minutes and I had to follow him..." Kol shifted his eyes from his siblings' to the covers, obviously embarrassed at his curiosity. "I stayed as far back as I could. There were even a couple cars between us at one point," he threw in, hopeful it would serve as justification for his stupidity. No one said a word but Klaus' jaw tightened. "Anyway, the guy pulled into the park. I parked on the opposite side of the parking lot; I have no idea how he knew I was following him..."

"Who was it?" Klaus could not wait any longer; he knew where this was going and the fact that it might not be a Salvatore had alerted his already peaked interest.

"I don't know," Kol sighed, "I thought about it the whole time I followed him. He wasn't a young guy but he wasn't really old, either. Middle-aged I guess. Nice new car, must have money. Local plates."

Klaus leaned back in the chair, letting his eyes drift up to the ceiling in deep thought. The entire time he had been here, he had spent so much time worrying about the Salvatore brothers that he had barely considered any of the other connections his family had to the town. Of course they were nothing but rumors as even his own father had no idea where most of his "employees" lived, but there had still been some other names he had come to town to investigate.

"What happened next, Kol?" Rebekah spoke quietly for the first time in hours.

"He looked like he was up to something. I got out and followed him down a walking path into the woods. At one point he looked back at me and sped up. He was too suspicious for an innocent motorist on his way to have a stroll in the park," Kol looked at Klaus again, defending his decision but knowing all the while how it must seem to Klaus as if he had walked right into a trap, "I yelled for him to stop and he started running into the woods. I thought I lost him after a few minutes..." he trailed off, leaving the rest to the imagination.

_You fucking idiot,_ was the first thing that came to Klaus' mind but he bit his lip to refrain from saying it. Maybe he would not be able to change how he acted around his siblings, but at least the scorn could wait until they were out of this hospital and all in one piece.

"Nik, we need to go home. This town is fucking crazy," Elijah was pacing again, suddenly becoming the level-headed brother as Kol was incapacitated and obviously off his game.

"I know that, Elijah. We can't very well leave right this second, can we?" Klaus looked up at Elijah who rolled his eyes in frustration.

"Will you ever stop being such an ass, Nik? Look at all the good your damn temper has done for us!" Elijah stepped towards Klaus' chair, holding his ground.

Klaus gripped the arms of the chair and pushed himself up; he walked slowly over to his brother at the foot of Kol's bed and stood directly in front of him, inches from his face. "No one has held a gun to your head and forced you to stay here. I don't need any of you," his eyes had darkened and the anger had finally gotten the best of him.

"God, would you two just stop? All of you act like children all of the time - _that_ is why we're in this situation," Rebekah shoved an arm in between Elijah and Klaus, pushing Elijah backwards and stepping in between the two. She turned to face Elijah and then turned to Klaus; they both reluctantly backed down and Klaus walked to the window.

"Both of you go home," he said quietly, his temper easing. As hot-headed as he may be, he recognized an intervention when he saw one and he knew that both Elijah and Rebekah were right. "I'll stay here until he's better and take him home. I need you to figure out who drives the Mercedes. Find out everything you can about him. We all need to regroup. Then we'll figure out what to do about this guy."

"What about Damon?" Rebekah had a twinge of hopefulness in her voice; Klaus recognized it quickly but dismissed it, not wanting to get angrier than he already was.

"The guy was at their house, wasn't he? I'm sure their role in this isn't over yet. I know exactly where to find them when I need them. And I know exactly how to hit them where it hurts," Klaus continued to stare out the window, overcome with the sudden realization that he would never be the kind of person who enjoyed courtyard gardens.


	24. Chapter 24

Damon rolled over in bed, unsure of how he felt about the ease with which his eyes adjusted to the light and the lack of pounding sensation in his head. After a glance at the clock (8:15 AM) he remembered that the strange way he felt was actually just a normal waking up occurrence, unlike the hungover, exhausted daze he had experienced every morning lately. He had been asleep for around 12 hours and he noted briefly that this was the best sleep he had gotten in weeks. He checked his phone and fought the unwelcome sinking feeling that followed when he saw the blank screen. He had not heard from Elena directly since they left the lake house yesterday morning, but he heard from Jeremy later in the day that they had decided to come home with Jenna and that they would both be going to school Monday morning.

Damon rolled out of bed and glanced down at the phone in his hands. He quickly typed out, "Good morning" to Elena; he contemplated adding some term of endearment (_beautiful_, maybe) but thought better and hit send. Rather than waiting for a reply text, he set the phone back on the nightstand and undressed, heading towards the shower.

He and Stefan had spent most of Sunday trying to figure out what to do if Klaus showed up at their house. He knew now that Klaus knew about his involvement in Trey's death; what Klaus did not know was why he did what he did, but he assumed that if Klaus caught up with him he would not get much of a chance to to explain himself. So far they had not heard or seen anything suspicious. They contemplated fleeing town altogether but knew that it would only delay the inevitable; if Klaus wanted his revenge on Damon he would get it one way or another, and Damon intended to stay put until it was time to defend himself. They had spent too many months in fear and he vowed to let what was going to happen simply occur naturally.

He ran through all of this in his head again during his shower; after he felt clean and refreshed and had once again talked himself into staying put, he dried off and got dressed. Now his thoughts drifted to Elena as he crossed the floor in his room to the nightstand, wondering how he would feel if there were no reply awaiting him. He found himself holding his breath as he pushed a button to light up his home screen, and he exhaled deeply when he saw her name. "Morning :)" was her response, and he had to sit down on the bed to keep from falling over with childlike excitement. Last time he had an emotional night with Elena she regretted it instantly and he half expected the same response. He smiled and stared at the text on the screen for a few more minutes. He sent "when can I see you again?" before standing up and walking downstairs to the living room.

Halfway down the stairs his phone vibrated in his hand and he glanced down, already smiling in anticipation. His smile faded when he saw Jeremy's name and he snapped back to reality - he was getting too excited about this girl and he needed to play it cool; he had been through this before and he had to keep reminding himself how it always ended. He sat on the couch and opened Jeremy's message.

"Did you hear about Klaus' brother Kol?"

Damon's eyebrows shot upwards instinctively and he quickly responded, "?"

"He's in the hospital. Cops found him almost dead in the park. Stabbed."

Damon's mouth fell open. Immediately he began to get nervous - surely all arrows would point to him where Klaus was concerned. His next thought was that maybe Klaus had been his attacker, in which case the end scenario did not play out much better for him; if he had the capability of nearly killing his own brother, he would certainly show Damon no remorse. He instinctively looked towards the front window, suddenly uneasy to be in the house alone. He texted Stefan quickly, "Kol?" as he stood up to put his shoes on. Before exiting the house he ran upstairs and grabbed the gun out of his nightstand; better safe than sorry.

On his way out the front door to his car he received two messages simultaneously - one from Stefan and one from Elena. He decided to open Stefan's first, reminding himself to stay grounded.

"Just heard. What's that mean for us?"

Damon had no response prepared as he was afraid of the answer himself. After he situated himself in his car he looked at Elena's text, feeling a little less excited than he had felt moments ago.

"I can meet you somewhere tonight"

He allowed himself to smile at the gesture but hesitated to respond. He knew that if Klaus were planning on finding him Elena would not be safe around him, no matter where they were. He also knew that if Klaus intended on getting to him he knew by now the best way would be to use Elena, and he had already proven he would find her at all costs whether Damon stayed away from her or not. There really was no easy solution, but he could not pass up the opportunity to be alone with her again. "Time and place" he responded, then stashed the gun in the glove box backed out of the driveway.

...

The last thing I had wanted to do Monday morning was return to school. The events of the past weekend made me feel as if I were in a different league than my classmates; I felt instantly unrelatable and in some ways more matured. The first person I ran into in the hallway was Caroline, of course. I had texted her Sunday night when I retrieved my cell phone from my abandoned car. After recharging the battery I had more text messages and missed calls than I could count, most of them Caroline. Jenna had talked to her Saturday as well, leading her to conclusion that something must be terribly wrong and the ultimate decision to crash our lake house getaway. I was thankful truthfully and I told myself on the way home Sunday that it had felt so good to tell Jenna everything; I needed to tell Caroline too. What I had not decided was whether or not I should tell her about Damon. Seeing her in the hallway made the decision much easier - no, I would not be telling her that little secret.

"God Elena, first you go missing with some mysterious 'tell you later' explanation and then they find a guy nearly dead in the park?! What is going on with this town lately! I'm telling you, all this crazy stuff started going down as soon as they got here," Caroline was rambling already, not allowing me any time to process what she had just said.

She was looking at Stefan at the end of the hallway who was getting a book out of his locker. I glanced in his direction and he caught my eye, smiling sideways. I smiled back and turned to Caroline.

"What are you talking about? What guy in the park?" I backtracked, derailing her train before it had time to stop at Salvatore station.

"You didn't hear? They found this guy in the park, he was almost dead. He had been attacked by someone with a knife. And get this," she looked around as if making sure no one else could hear and whispered, "Remember that Trey guy from last summer who died? It was his brother. You know, the guys Matthew's been hanging around? I knew he was going to get himself into trouble hanging out with those guys. They're murderers, Lae. Someone really needs to talk to Matt's mom," she was shaking her head in a condescending way as if someone had just told her a child had misbehaved.

I ignored her comment and reflected on the news for a minute. Luckily the bell rang for first period and I would have plenty of time to think about what it all meant.

"So when are you going to tell me what's going on?" Caroline put her arm around my shoulder and squeezed tightly, reacting to the sudden change in expression on my face no doubt.

"After school?" I offered, looking over at her and putting on my best smile, "Meet me at my car and we'll go get some ice cream. Like old times." I put my arm around her returning the gesture; she nodded in agreement before we parted ways.

No sooner had she walked away than Stefan appeared at my side, awkwardly looking from me to the ground. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

"I'm fine," I answered, "You hear what happened?"

"Yeah, I heard some guys talking about it outside. Don't know how to tell Damon. Either way it doesn't sound good for him," he said quietly.

I thought about this for a second and realized that he was right - Damon had to be scared about what this meant, but I still had not talked to him and I did not want this to be the first conversation we had. All I desperately wanted was to have a normal, drama-less day with him and see if we were even capable of having a relationship without scandal involved. The thought had occurred to me recently that maybe the passion Damon and I shared came from the forbidden aspect of our affair; it was thrilling and exciting because we both knew it was wrong, but did it get much deeper than that? I hoped so, but all of the doubts I had been having the past 24 hours were very difficult to ignore. I promised myself that I owed it to both of us to try to have a normal relationship and only then would I be able to consider if we were truly meant to be together or not.

"I didn't mean to worry you," Stefan noticed my inquisitive stance and he stepped closer to me. "I'm not going to let those guys get to you again," he whispered, and I felt his fingertips reaching for my hand by my side. My eyes traveled slowly up to his and I could feel myself getting nervous. "I miss you, Elena. I haven't stopped thinking about you since the last time we talked. And after this weekend..." he trailed off and I looked away quickly, not wanting him to see the uneasiness in my eyes. "It was awful. I still love you."

"Stefan," I tried to stop him before it came out but it was too late. That was the absolute last thing I needed to hear. Tthe way Stefan and I ended things made me feel much better about what happened because I showed him how selfish I really could be. I thought that I had chased him away and that he realized he was better off without me. Now hearing that he was willing to overlook all of that reminded me what I might be missing - he truly was the safer choice, but my heart couldn't go where my head was at. "We're going to be late for class," was all I could say and I rushed past him into the classroom.

I sat in the back of the room, head spinning and avoiding eye contact with Stefan at all costs. At one point my phone buzzed and Stefan's name flashed across the screen. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Can we please talk?"

I looked at him briefly on the other side of the room. He was looking at me and heat rose to my cheeks. Knowing I had been caught, I typed: "Sure." and hit send. When my phone buzzed again I nearly shoved it back into my bag to avoid another confrontation, but when I saw Damon's name I sat up in my chair and swiped the screen to open the message.

"Good morning."

I bit the insides of my cheeks to stop from smiling, realizing Stefan might still be looking at me. The heat was back in my cheeks and I had to take a minute to calm down before I responded. I focused on the video that the substitute teacher was showing; after five minutes I couldn't even repeat to myself what I had just seen. All I could do was think about Damon, knowing he was thinking about me too.

...

Damon drove around town for an hour, trying to pass the time and also attempting to clear his head. Elena had suggested that they meet for a late dinner at a restaurant on the opposite side of town. He was shocked at her decision to meet publicly and nervous about the prospect of an actual date. It had been years since he had been on one and he nearly declined to suggest somewhere more private. He realized, however, that part of her inhibitions so far must come from the secrecy of their relationship and he assumed she wanted something a little more substantial. After all, besides the night they spent together so many weeks ago and a couple of conversations here and there they really had not had an opportunity to just talk. He personally felt that the dating part was completely unnecessary after all they had been through already but he wanted to appease her.

Unable to decide on an establishment to settle in to for the time being and still uneasy about being at home, Damon eventually decided on a whim to drive by the hospital. Jeremy had continued to text him details about what had happened to Klaus' brother and he knew that the hospital is where the news last located the family. He rationed that the last place Klaus would think to find him would be within feet of he and his family so going alone would not be an issue.

The hospital was small and Damon remembered vivid scenes of the hallways and courtyard from after both his mother's and father's accidents. Even just pulling into the parking lot gave him a creepy, sinking feeling of dread and he vowed to stay as far away from the building as possible. He drove around the lot twice, finally spotting a black truck and made his way to a back corner of the lot to park. He wasn't quite sure what he intended to see while he was here but he felt safer knowing that he was the hunter rather than the hunted. He settled into his seat and shifted his body around to a bag he had stashed in the pouch behind the passenger seat. He reached into the bag and unscrewed the top of the flask, bringing the covered canteen to his lips and gulping down a long swig of warm brown liquor. It had been a few days since he had anything to drink and the warm sensation in his throat was welcomed without hesitation. He noted to himself that this would mark the first time he had ever drank alcohol in the parking lot of a hospital, but stranger things had surely happened. After a few more swallows his mind was clearer than it had been in days and he was able to relax back into the seat cushion, keeping his eye on the black truck and thankful for tinted windows.

An hour passed with barely more than a few random visitors in the parking lot. The lobby doors opened and closed to allow comers and goers but he had not seen anyone of significance. Just when he was ready to close his eyes for an afternoon nap, a car he recognized pulled into the lot. It was the camaro that Jeremy had vandalized that night at The Grille, window repaired and entirely inconspicuous. He straightened up in his chair briefly only to sink down as far as he could behind the steering wheel; he knew he would not be seen from this distance and his Lexus rivaled many other cars in the parking lot but his instinct got the better of him. The car pulled to a stop beside the black truck; at the same instant the door to the front lobby slid open and Klaus stepped outside, hands stuffed inside his jean pockets. Even from so far away Damon could see the tired lines on his face; the disheveled manor in which his clothes and hair appeared suggested that he had obviously not groomed himself in days. For one brief moment Damon felt sympathy for the man before him, but the moment was fleeting and he reminded himself what all he wanted to do to Klaus for scaring Elena the way he had. Another man got out of the driver seat of the camaro, followed on the passenger side by a familiar face - Rebekah. Damon could sense his blood pressure rising at the sight of her and he was not sure if this was due to the intimate night they had experienced together or if it was because of the rage towards her for her betrayal.

The man walked around to the trunk of the car and popped it open. Damon noted that the inside was filled with many different bags and suitcases of varying sizes. He grabbed a gray duffel bag and he and Rebekah approached Klaus on the sidewalk. He handed the bag to Klaus immediately; Klaus sat it on the ground and the three chatted for a few minutes. None of them were smiling and none of them seemed terribly pleased to be in one another's company. Eventually the two turned back around and returned to the car. Klaus stood on the sidewalk for a few moments watching the car pull out of the lot, then he too went back inside the lobby. Damon waited a good five minutes after the coast was clear before he sat back up in his seat. He took another long swig from his flask and threw it into the passenger seat, starting up the engine once his hand was free. At first he contemplated looking for the camaro but decided against it; he had a feeling any more genius ideas might get in the way of his date tonight and he decided on a change of scenery. Vision slightly blurred from the mix of alcohol and adrenaline, he made a left at the stop sign and headed toward The Grille to spend the rest of his day among the mundane drama of people who were not quite so complicated.


	25. Chapter 25

I spent most of the day running through the story that I would be telling Caroline after school. The closer the clock got to dismissal at the end of the day the more nervous I became, and my thoughts started to jumble together. Telling Jenna was one thing; she was family and I knew she would have to understand and support my decision to keep such intense secrets. My best friend was another story. Caroline had always been the type of person to hold a grudge for weeks at at time when I wouldn't tell her simple things like when I was doing poorly in a class or when I kissed a boy on a date. This was by far the most secretive I had been with her since the start of our friendship and I was not sure how she would react. My worst fear was how she would feel about Damon after all was said and done. I knew that she would find a way to blame him for everything I had been going through and for putting a rift in our friendship. If she ever found out what had happened with Damon and I that night at the barn I was sure she would kill him.

Before I knew it I was walking towards my car in the parking lot at the end of the day; I spotted Caroline as soon as I exited the school, leaning against my car on her cell phone. She had undoubtedly either been dismissed early or skipped her last class - my bet was the latter.

"How did you get out here so fast?" I asked as I approached. My plan was to deflect as long as possible; talking about Caroline's favorite subject (herself) was the best way to accomplish this.

Her cheeks turned pink and she looked up at me without lifting her head, giving me her best puppy-dog eyes. "I skipped with Tyler."

"Caroline!" I pushed her shoulder playfully, unable to avoid smiling. I had been so busy with myself and all of my drama that I had not even realized how serious things had become between my best friend and the quarterback.

"What? If you actually still came to cheerleading practice and football games you might not be so surprised," she jabbed.

"I hung out with you guys last week, Care. I knew you were extra flirty but you never told me you were _that_ serious," I reached for the door handle. Caroline took the hint and skipped around to the passenger side, sliding gracefully into the seat next to me.

"Well I know how you feel about him," she continued with a shrug, "Plus you've seemed a little preoccupied lately. Now quit avoiding the elephant in the room and tell me what the hell has been going on with you!" Her whole body was now turned in the seat facing me, waiting almost literally on the edge of her seat for me to spill.

"Can we at least wait until we're able to have a face-to-face conversation to talk about this? Jeez," I glanced sideways at her.

She sighed dramatically and turned back around in her seat, resuming whatever conversation she had been having on her phone.

Caroline rattled off a few insignificant stories about her day during the ride to Scoops. As we were ready to pull into the parking lot she started to bring up the incident in the park again and I was thankful that the conversation ended when I parked the car. We went inside the small ice cream parlor; we were the only customers, seeing as how it was now late fall and the weather was not so conducive to ice cream. Caroline and I had always made it a tradition to visit Scoops when the weather got cold - she loved being eccentric and I loved having the place to ourselves. The owner was not surprised to see us and, as usual, offered us a free scoop and extra toppings. We assembled our ice cream mountains and found our usual table in the corner by the front window. I waited until the owner disappeared into the back of the shop to start telling Caroline my story.

"So," I began, searching for an appropriate starting point, "You have to listen to the whole story before you start getting upset," I figured this would be a good caveat to the conversation; her eyes grew larger and she slowly removed the plastic spoon from her mouth, staring in anticipation. "What I'm about to tell you can't be repeated. To anyone. Including Tyler. Okay?" she nodded her head slowly, her expression rivaling a person who was watching a dramatic movie scene unfold, "Remember what I said about not getting upset until I finish..." I waited for her to nod again, then decided it best to just spit it out, "You know that guy Trey from last summer? I know how he died."

"It was that Klaus guy, wasn't it? His brother?" she was nearly bouncing up and down with excitement, blissfully unaware how off track she was.

"No," I took a deep breath and released, "It was Damon."

The spoon fell from her hand and the plastic clinked against the table before falling to the ground. "Oh my god!" she gasped, then covered her mouth with her hand as she realized how loud she was being.

"Caroline!" I narrowed my eyes at her in a scolding manner.

As expected, the owner emerged from the back room. "You ladies okay?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

"Just need another spoon, please," I responded nervously.

It felt like hours had passed in the time it took for him to deliver the spoon to our table and return to the back.

"I told you not to get upset until I finished," I reminded her, but knew that this was an impossible task for Caroline Forbes. Without waiting for another reaction I continued the story, explaining the details of the night that Trey broke into the Salvatore house and how Damon reacted to defend himself and his brother. She eased up slightly but her jaw remained clenched. From there I referred to the night at The Grille when Jeremy first involved himself with Klaus and his gang. I reminded her of Matthew's involvement that night and transitioned into the day that Jeremy left school with him. I told her what I knew now, that Jeremy had been convinced to help get a confession from Damon and that he tried to no avail. I explained that he eventually ran out of time and Klaus took matters into his own hands - and that's where I had been all weekend.

At this point she could not contain herself any longer. "God, Elena! Why didn't you call the cops? Why didn't _someone_ call the cops?!"

"Because of Damon and Stefan, Care. If anyone found out that they were involved-" I tried to explain but knew that Caroline would disagree. She did not have the connection that I did to the brothers and she would not understand.

"Who cares! He killed someone, Elena! He's a murderer. That's what happens when you kill someone - you go to jail," she was whispering but her voice was escalated slightly more than I felt comfortable with.

I glanced at the door to the back to make sure it remained closed and looked back at Caroline. "I'm not expecting you to understand. But please just hear me out," I pleaded, pulling out my own puppy-dog eyes.

She stared at me for a minute then sighed and leaned back against the booth. She picked up her spoon and started to poke around in her halfway melted ice cream bowl. "Okay, so what happened next? What did Klaus want with you?"

"He wanted me to tell him what I knew about Trey's accident," I continued.

"How did he know that they were even involved? If he knew Trey was breaking into their house he didn't really need a confession about how he died, right?" I applauded her ability to remain interested despite how she felt about the situation.

"That's the thing. He obviously didn't know why Trey was in Mystic Falls that night. But he told me the back story... why he suspected Damon and Stefan from the start. Their dad worked for Klaus' dad when he was a mob boss, or whatever he was. Klaus' dad had asked their dad to kill Trey's dad for murdering his ex-wife, Klaus and Trey's mom-"

"God, this sounds like a terrible soap opera," Caroline interrupted, shaking her head.

"So Damon and Stefan's dad couldn't go through with it. He cut his ties with Klaus' dad and went home. A few weeks later Klaus' dad found him and..." I trailed off, a mental image of the incident forming in my head. I left out the part about how Damon was present that day, as I figured nothing would change the way Caroline felt about him at this point.

"Damn... So the rumors about how their dad died were true. I always knew this town was more interesting than everyone makes it out to be," We were both quiet for a minute, then Caroline continued, "So Klaus assumed this was revenge? That Damon and Stefan killed their brother to get back at their family?"

I nodded, taking a spoonful of what was left of my ice cream.

"So what now? Did you tell them the truth?" She asked cautiously.

"No!" For some reason I was very offended by this assumption, but I relaxed quickly and continued, "I mean, no. I didn't. Their sister was able to get a confession before they even really pressured me..." Another unwelcome mental picture formed in my head and I bit my lip, trying to dispel it. Caroline stared at me with her eyebrows raised as if coaxing me to explain. "There are a lot of siblings if you hadn't figured that out yet. Klaus is only their half-brother, but Trey had 3 other siblings - two brothers and a sister. The girl's name is Rebekah. She found Damon's weakness," I could feel heat rising and I took a bite of ice cream to cool myself back off. I hoped Caroline would not pick up on my emotion.

"Gross," she pretended to shiver and rolled her eyes. "So they just let you go?"

"Not exactly," I told Caroline the rest of the story, ending with my confession to Jenna at the lake house yesterday.

When all was said and done Caroline was silent. This was the worst reaction I could have hoped for - Caroline was never silent.

"Well? Say something..." I avoided eye contact, playing with the soupy concoction in front of me.

"I don't know what to say, Lae," her voice was soothing but the disappointment echoed between the lines. "I can't believe you've been keeping all this from me. And I really can't understand how you're still on their side... You should have just told Klaus what happened and let him take care of it."

My blood boiled instantly and I had to stop myself from lashing out. "Are you serious? Is that really how you feel?"

Caroline looked in my eyes and I could tell now that she was just in overprotective best friend mode. She sighed again and said, "No, Elena. I like Stefan, I wouldn't want him to get involved in that mess."

Even though that was not exactly what I wanted to hear I took it at face value and didn't comment again.

"So what does this mean about the brother they found in the park? That wasn't...?" she could tell that I was becoming very defensive and I knew she didn't mean any harm by her question, but I found it very difficult to contain my emotion about her accusations.

I took a deep breath and responded, "No. It wasn't." Even though at this point I truly didn't even know if that was the correct answer. In my heart I knew that Damon had not been involved in that incident, but the idea that Klaus had found another enemy in such a short time in Mystic Falls was not very promising. I wanted so badly to talk to Damon about it during our text conversation this morning but when he didn't bring it up I thought it best to just avoid the subject. Best case scenario would be that the gang did have another trail to sniff now and they would leave the Salvatore brothers alone. "We should get home, Care. I have... a lot of homework tonight," I lied, seeing that it was getting close to 5:00.

Caroline agreed readily and we got back in the car, completely silent on the drive back to the school. I pulled up next to her car in the parking lot and put the car in park. She sat there for another couple of minutes before turning to me. She put her hand on my leg and squeezed my thigh.

"I love you, Lae. No matter what. You can talk to me about anything. I'm sorry if I made you mad. But I just worry about you being involved with someone like him. You and Jeremy are going to stop hanging out with them now, right?" She started to nod her head as if doing so would cause me to mimic her response.

I forced a smile and said, "You don't have to worry about me. I'm going to stay out of trouble."

She did not appear to be completely satisfied with my response but she hugged me nonetheless. "Call me later," she said and exited the car.

I remained in the parking lot after she drove away. My head rolled back into the headrest and I closed my eyes, letting the emotions of my confession wash over me. I thought that talking about everything would make me feel better - instead I felt a hundred times worse. I hated questioning my decision to remain in Damon's life and I wanted to get back to the way I felt this morning when I saw his text. I pulled my phone out of my bag; one text from Jeremy telling me he found a ride home, one from Jenna asking where I was, but no other messages. I scrolled through my message screen to find Damon's name and re-read our conversation. Seeing the words on the screen made it all start to feel real again and the smile had returned to my face by the time I pulled out of the school. I had a date tonight and I was not going to let any details (no matter how significant they may be) interfere with that.

...

It had been quite a few weeks since Damon had been to The Grille. Being here reminded him of a time when things were much less complicated - before the nights he spent falling for a girl at the wrong time and complicating everything by sharing his secret with her; before he had involved her in his drama and put her life in danger; before he had to make so many decisions about right and wrong because now his actions did not just impact himself. He resumed his usual seat at the bar and was comforted by the fact that his almost-one-night-stand bartender friend was working.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," she acted angry but Damon could see the excitement in her eyes.

He flashed his seductive smile at her and she placed a drink in front of him. "I've been meaning to apologize about the way things ended that night," he fibbed, "Certainly wasn't how I imagined it."

"Me either," she shot him a look that made him feel guilty for an instant, then she turned her back to him abruptly and walked to the other end of the bar where a middle-aged man sat in anticipation of her return.

He watched as she rested her elbows on the bar in front of the man as she had done with him so many nights before and he raised his glass in their direction in a mock toast. "Here's to no second chances," he whispered to himself.

Several hours passed but Damon paced himself; the last thing he wanted was for Elena to know that on top of everything else she had to look past about him, he also was a daytime drinker and he could barely function without a buzz. Elena had suggested that they meet at 7:30; it was now close to 4:30 and he decided to order one last drink. During the few hours he had spent here he had indulged himself in the pointless gossip of the women of the PTA at a booth behind him, the sordid confessions of infidelity from one man to another two stools down, and of course the ever present chatter about the incident at the park yesterday. Although he did not want to think about Klaus and his family any more, he could not help but be intrigued by the new development. It appeared from the bag exchange at the hospital that Klaus' siblings might be leaving town, but until he knew for sure that Klaus planned on doing the same he would not rest easy.

He raised his glass to his mouth for what might have been his final sip but lowered it instantly when he heard a man's voice behind him.

"Well, fancy finding you here. You certainly don't make things difficult for me, do you mate?"

Damon could hardly believe that the voice was directed at him at first, but he quickly picked up on the innuendo and turned around slowly in his seat. He came face to face with the man he recognized as Klaus for the first time and he immediately squared his shoulders and dug his feet into the ground, ready to defend himself.

"What's the matter? Seems like you already know who I am. And here I had an introduction speech prepared," he strolled casually to the barstool beside Damon and sat down, raising his hand at the bartender to signal her attention. "Vodka water please, sweetheart," he smiled warmly at her and she blushed instantly.

"Who's your friend, Damon?" she winked at Klaus and turned around to make his drink.

"Well I suppose we are like old friends. After all, you did take it upon yourself to join the family history book when you killed my brother," Klaus' voice was lowered just enough for Damon to hear every word, but the complacent smile on his face when the bartender placed his drink in front of him made it appear as though he was merely referring to the weather.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Damon didn't know what else to say; he certainly hadn't been prepared for this conversation.

"Oh, cut the bullshit. We both know what you did. You really must work on developing a defense mechanism against women," he took a short sip of his drink and looked over at Damon, "Anyone can spot your weakness from a mile away."

"Fuck you," Damon started to stand up but Klaus put his hand on his arm and forcefully shoved him back into his seat.

"It's rude to leave in the middle of a conversation," he said calmly.

"I have nothing to say to you," Damon remained seated nevertheless; he certainly did not want to cause a scene and draw attention to their conversation.

"Nothing at all? There's nothing you want to say to me about kidnapping your little girlfriend?" his eyes moved from the bartender at the other end of the bar to Damon's face briefly, judging his reaction.

Damon knew not to let his emotions read and he remained calm and straight-faced. "Well that didn't turn out as you planned. I guess your sister is your weakness too," he smiled and Klaus' face tightened.

"Does little Elena know what a sex addicted, alcoholic train wreck you are? If you really care for the girl the best thing you could do for her is stay far away. You're a grown man - a pathetic criminal at that. You're no good for her and you know it," Klaus shot back immediately.

The smile fell from Damon's face and he became aware that he was allowing Klaus to see that he had gotten to him. He clenched his fists together, using all of his willpower not to rear back and punch the smirk off of his face. "This coming from such an upstanding model citizen like yourself. You know if you weren't such a psychotic control freak you might stop losing all your family members."

This was too much for Klaus; he pushed the bar stool back and grabbed Damon by his shirt collar, lifting him out of his chair. "Do you know what I could do to you, you worthless little shit?" he spoke through gritted teeth.

Damon remained unphased and said calmly, "So do it then, dick."

In the background the manager's voice resounded across the bar, "Hey! Stop, that's enough!"

Klaus stood completely still for several seconds before releasing his grasp of Damon's shirt. Damon stumbled backwards slightly but kept his composure and never broke eye contact. The manager was standing next to the men now, ready to intervene if necessary.

"Anyway, I just wanted to say goodbye," Klaus' smirk had returned and he smoothed out the wrinkles on the sides of his brown jacket, adjusting the sleeves as if the entire restaurant full of people were not staring directly at him. "Leaving town for a while. I have some more important business to take care of. But don't worry, we'll meet again,_ friend_." he put a hand on the side of Damon's bicep and squeezed tightly, almost threateningly.

Damon had no words; he had no idea what was happening and he could not believe he was about to let this man walk away after what he had done to Elena. Klaus flashed one more smile at everyone in the bar before announcing loudly, "Carry on!" and exiting through the front door.

"You okay, man?" The manager gave Damon a swift pat on the back and Damon flinched away.

"I'm fine," he muttered, teeth clenched.

He stood staring out the front window, watching Klaus get into his truck and drive out of the parking lot. After he was able to regain his composure and people had started to look away to whisper quietly among themselves he threw some cash onto the bar and walked out as calmly as he could. He stood outside for a minute and took a deep breath with his eyes closed. The cold air filled his lungs and reminded him that he was now completely sober. The recurring thought in his head was to get in his car and hunt Klaus down, run him off of the road and leave town for good. The worst thing about all of the emotions he felt now was that he knew Klaus had been right - he was all of the things that Klaus said he was, and on top of everything else he was selfish for letting Elena get sucked into his life. If he left town now Stefan and Elena would find a way to make things work between them; they would take care of each other and Damon knew that he would never have to worry about their safety again. Now that Klaus was on hiatus it would be the perfect time to make a getaway. He ran through all of this in his head, vivid flashing backs occurring between thoughts of the night he had spent with Elena at the barn. By the time he got into his car and started the engine he had made up his mind.


	26. Chapter 26

I was a few minutes early arriving to the restaurant. I had chosen a small Italian place called Bel Cibo; my parents had been good friends with the owners and I knew it would not be difficult to reserve a secluded table in the private dining area in the back. I sat in the car for a few minutes flipping down my visor mirror to check and re-check my makeup and hair. I had not ever been this nervous for a date. I was not nervous about him liking me, that was for sure; I was more nervous for some reason that he would not show up - or worse, that he would show up and we would have to talk about all of the many things I did not want to discuss tonight. After about ten minutes I decided to go inside. I texted him to tell him that I would be waiting in the restaurant as I walked through the front door. I was greeted by familiar faces and I made small talk with the hostess who showed me to my table. I ordered a water and checked my cell phone as soon as I was seated. No response.

The minutes ticked on and with each second that passed my heartbeat sped up a little more. It quickly started to feel as if there was a spot light on my table with an arrow pointing down that said "pathetic loser" or "stood up". After 15 minutes I called Damon's cell - no answer of course. My server came by to check on me for the third time and I assured him that my friend was coming, he was just running late. I'm sure he could tell by the nervous glances at my phone and the front door that this is not exactly what I believed. After 30 minutes of sitting alone my nerves turned to sheer anger and I reached behind me to put my jacket back on. Just as I bent down to retrieve my purse the front door swung open rather abruptly and Damon walked in, looking around desperately. For a second I contemplated leaving anyway - what excuse could he possibly have? But instead I sat back down, still wearing my jacket just in case.

The hostess pointed him in my direction and he walked quickly to the table. Before taking his seat he walked over to me and bent down to hug me; when I did not reciprocate he pulled away and looked into my eyes with a torn expression. He moved around to his chair and was immediately greeted by our server who asked for his drink order.

Damon looked at me briefly before answering, "Just a water, please."

His ever-present smile was missing and I began to sense that maybe he did have a good reason for his tardiness. Before I could say a word he said, "I'm so sorry, Elena. I got tied up..." his eyes shifted to the table as he spoke and I could tell this was not the entire story.

"Tied up?" I asked in a mocking tone, "Was your cell phone tied up too?"

"Battery died," he looked at me again and this time I knew he was telling the truth. "Please don't be mad at me. If it's any consolation I've had a very shitty day. Thinking about seeing you tonight was the only thing that got me through," he reached across the table for my hand and I reluctantly gave it to him. His smile finally returned and I could not resist smiling back.

"We don't have the best track record so far," I tried to lighten the mood but both of us knew that this was not entirely a joke. His smile turned into a sideways smirk and he shrugged. "Why was your day so shitty?" I asked to break the ice.

He was quiet for a minute, staring at the tablecloth again. The server returned with his water and he waited until he was out of hearing distance before responding, "I don't want to talk about it. Not tonight. I just want to be here with you," he squeezed my hand and my heart fluttered; these were the words I had wanted to hear all day.

The mood shifted slightly into an awkward silence as neither of us could think of what to say next. The only thing that we could both relate to were things we did not want to discuss, and small talk that normally occurs on a first date like _What's your favorite food?_ seemed a little ridiculous. I half expected him to do all the talking, seeing as how being a smooth conversationalist was one of his many talents. He seemed more distant than before, however, and he just stared at the menu in silence for several minutes.

When our server finally took our orders and left with the menus he was forced to look at me again. His smile had slowly faded over the past several minutes and at this point it had disappeared completely.

"I need to ask you something," he said quietly; both of our hands were in our laps now. I nodded nervously and sipped my water. "Are you sure this is what you want?" When I did not respond right away he continued, "I mean, do you know how fucked up I really am? I've got a lot of skeletons in my closet, Elena. You don't know about all of them. What if you find out things and it pushes you away?"

I was dumbfounded; I had no idea how to respond. Why was he doing this? "What kind of things, Damon? I'm pretty sure the skeletons I do know about take up most of your closet so there can't be much room for more. You know I've gotten past what happened last summer... Why would you think I couldn't get over whatever else you've done?"

His face did not ease up at all and this worried me even more. "You're just so young," he added. I sat up a little straighter in my chair, folding my arms on the table in front of me and felt my jaw clench; he must have picked up on my frustration and he leaned forward, reaching across the table to put his hand on my arm. "That's not what I meant. I just mean I have a lot of years on you. I've done a lot of things and I'm afraid you won't be able to understand who I am. Or you won't want to..."

"Damon, stop. What's wrong with you? Are you trying to push me away?" I moved my arm away from his grasp and laid my hands back into my lap.

He was silent. I had assumed that was a rhetorical question but the fact that he actually had to think about it nearly made me stand up and leave. I suddenly felt like I was wasting my time. "I don't know what I'm trying to do," he answered honestly. I appreciated his truthfulness but I had no response. "I almost left today," he nearly whispered this part and once again his eyes fell to the table; his hand ran across the left side of his face in visible frustration.

"You what?" My eyes widened and I suddenly became scared; scared that I was going to lose him again, and it had only been a week since the last time.

"I packed all of my things. I got in the car and started driving... I made it about forty miles before I had to pull over. I can't leave you," he looked back into my eyes and he appeared to be searching for an answer. "I need to make sure you're not going to leave me, either."

This time I reached for his hand. His face relaxed and our eyes stayed connected. "I'm not going anywhere," I smiled reassuringly and he finally smiled back, easing the tension tenfold.

Damon sighed and leaned back, relaxing for the first time since he walked in the door. "This being emotional thing isn't easy for me," he smiled shyly and I felt honored to be presented with such a vulnerable side of the mysterious man before me. No matter how many times I had second-guessed my feelings for Damon, this side of him that I was sure no one else had ever seen was the only reason I kept coming back.

Our food came and we ate mostly in silence. When we finished and Damon had paid the bill he stood up to pull out my chair. I briefly imagined that this was a trick he had learned at player charm school that he must use on all of the women he had romanced in the past, but I promised myself this time he really did intend on being a gentleman. He helped me back into the coat that I had finally taken off before our meal came out and we went outside.

As if the conversation inside had not been awkward enough, standing between our cars in the parking lot was by far the strangest I had felt all night. We both knew we did not want the date to end here but we had chosen a life of secrecy together; now there were not many places we could hide from the rest of the world.

After a few uncomfortable seconds of silence Damon's eyes lit up and he took my hand. "Isn't there a fire pit in the barn?" he asked, bringing my hand to his lips and not breaking eye contact.

My stomach flipped with shock and desire but my head slowed my heartbeat. "We can't go back there, Damon. Klaus knows about it…"

I expected his smile to fade but I was pleasantly surprised when it grew even larger. He stepped closer to me and pulled my hips against his, moving his hand to circle the back of my neck. "We don't have to worry about Klaus anymore. At least not for a while," he leaned down to kiss me but I turned away instinctively, not satisfied with his answer.

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to step backwards but his grasp would not allow me much room.

"Just trust me," he whispered, his smile still in place."Tell Jenna you're staying at Caroline's tonight."

This time I allowed my heartbeat to speed up without a reality check. I had no idea what he knew about Klaus' whereabouts but in that moment I trusted him infinitely. I wanted to run to my car and speed to the barn but I kept my composure and nodded my head, releasing a flirtatious smile of my own. He leaned down to kiss me again and this time I surrendered, remembering how amazing it felt to be so connected to him. Maybe we had nothing in common and maybe he was wrong for me, but as long as it felt this good I was not sure I would ever be able to get enough.

...

_It was mid-afternoon on a Saturday, no different by the looks of it than any other weekend day; but on this day in particular, the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach had been out of control. He knew from dinnertime conversation and whispers around town that the Salvatore brothers had returned to Mystic Falls many months ago. This is when the uneasy feeling first began to grow, but ever since the day that he learned Mikaelson's boy and his crew had taken up residence at a local motel he had not been able to sleep soundly at night. Was it a coincidence that they were both back here at the same time? Surely not - not with their history. He assumed that there must be some connection between the homecoming of some of Mystic Falls' most notorious families and the murder that had occurred at the beginning of the summer. This was quickly overshadowed by the deaths in the Gilbert family and he was able to reflect upon the possibilities in peace for months. When reports started to surface that the Mikaelson clan was stirring up trouble in town and that they had begun to meddle around at the high school, the fear for his own life broadened to fear for his family. Lately he had been distant at home and at work and people were starting to question where his head was at; after all, he was supposed to be the voice of reason and everyone in town had always looked to him for answers. This time he knew that the answer they wanted would mean a trip down memory lane and he would have to dig up old skeletons that had long been buried. Their answers would come later, but the question in his own mind would not be shut out so easily._

_This was not the first time he had visited the Salvatore house over the past 15 years; in fact, it was not the first time he had visited over the past 3 months. He promised himself, however, that today would be different. Today would be the day he shut out the regret once and for all; he was going to confess to the brothers and beg their forgiveness. Maybe then they would help him answer the burning question he had about Niklaus Mikaelson's intentions in Mystic Falls. _

_He pulled up to the curb, a familiar endeavor for him. This was always as far as he had gotten. He threw his Mercedes into park but his foot remained on the brake pedal, nerves getting the best of him as they always had. He cracked his window (another nervous habit) to be the first to hear any outside noise. He studied the house for a few minutes, noting that there were no cars in the driveway but rationalizing that perhaps they were in the garage. He stared into the curtained windows for any sign of life and was beginning to convince himself that he had lucked out and no one was home. He put the car back into drive and had his finger on the button to raise the window but stopped abruptly when he heard rocks crackling in the distance. He froze, his heart rate speeding up. When no car turned around the corner into the driveway he quickly pulled around the half-circle and turned left to get back onto the main road. It was then that he saw the black Acura pulled over on the shoulder. He saw a male in the driver's seat and the glimpse he was able to steal allowed him to witness the inquisitive and nervous expression on the driver's face. The man was young, much younger than him, but he swore that he recognized his face. He broke out into a sweat instantly and tried to act as casually as possible as he continued down the road, eyes glued to the rear view mirror to see if the car would turn and follow. He was out of view of the Acura within seconds and at last glance the car still sat on the side of the road; however, when he reached the next stop sign he saw the black hood appearing over a hill behind him and his assumption had been validated - he was being followed. _

_He ran through a million ideas in his head about how to lose his tail but none of them seemed feasible. He knew that being as high profile as he was in the town the boy would find him eventually. His mind was clouded with fear and rage combined and his temporary insanity told him to take matters into his own hands - send a message to the man who had undoubtedly sent this boy so that Klaus knew he was not going down without a fight. He pulled into the park he used to frequent so many years ago for morning jogs. Lately he had been too busy to get much exercising done outside of the small gym in his home between conference calls but he remembered every twist and turn of every trail here as if his last run had been just yesterday. He parked the car and walked briskly to the closest trail; he was dressed in his weekend casual attire so he knew he recognition would not be an issue. He glanced behind him as he entered the woods to confirm that the Acura was indeed in the parking lot. _

_His fear escalated and he reached for the knife that he had brought with him sheathed in a protective casing on the inside of his jacket. He kept his hand on the case as he walked faster and faster. The boy was behind him now, pace quickening and as he began to sprint the boy called for him to wait. The boy had blown his cover and now he wanted to fight, surely. He quickly turned from the path into the trees and kept running until the boy was out of sight. He heard his footsteps quickly approaching on the trail feet away as he hid behind the trunk of a large tree. When the boy ventured up into the woods and began to look around cautiously he knew it was time to make his move; he jumped out behind the boy and wrapped an arm around him, hand covering his mouth to prevent him from screaming. The boy instinctively kicked backwards, knocking the knife out of his free hand. He pushed the boy to the ground and turned around to pick the knife up; feeling the boy approaching him from behind he stood up quickly and elbowed the boy's face. He fell to the ground, his nose gushing with blood and the impact of his head on the hard ground knocked him out cold. He looked around frantically from the boy to the walking path and paced back and forth. He had never been so out of touch with his emotions and eventually the overwhelming urge to kill the boy took over; he had been spotted and the attention that this would bring to him and his family would surely ruin him. Not only that, but if this boy lived to tell Niklaus about their encounter there would be no denying his involvement and Klaus would surely not hesitate to get the revenge he had obviously come for. Before he could change his mind he threw himself to the ground and began to stab away at the lifeless body beneath him; tears flowed from his eyes and as the insanity fled his mind he fell backwards against a tree, clutching the bloody weapon in his hand and rocking back and forth. He began to hear footsteps and female chattering approaching after several minutes and he stood quickly, wiping the knife on some fallen leaves before returning it to the case in his pocket. He backed slowly away from the direction of the voices and then ran as fast as he could through the trees. _

_When he was certain he had gotten far enough ahead of the voices he slowly made his way back to the walking path, smoothing out his hair and hoping he did not look as suspicious as he felt. He strolled casually unnoticed back into the parking lot. By the time he reached his car he heard the screams; he paused in his tracks for a moment, wondering if he should react and pretend to be a hero. Remembering his current state of mind he decided against it and got back into his car. He looked around one last time to make sure no one had been watching him and pulled out of the parking lot, reciting a familiar prayer over and over in the echoing silence of his car._


	27. Chapter 27

I awoke Tuesday morning from a terrible nightmare. I had been dreaming about my parent's accident and I could see myself outside of the car, unable no matter how hard I tried to pull the doors open. I could see their faces through the glass begging me to help them and I watched as the life drained from their eyes. I banged on the window one last time and turned around again to look for help. Damon had been there on the bank of the river watching, but when I screamed for him to come to me he just stood there and stared.

At this point I jolted awake with an audible gasp. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I realized very quickly how cold I was. Damon and I were on the floor of the barn on a quilt that I had found in my trunk, using battered cushions as pillows. I moved closer to him and put my head on his chest, resuming the position we had fallen asleep in; the difference was that now I was no longer tired and my eyes would not close again. I felt scared and strangely out of place. Feeling me stir, Damon began to move beneath me and I looked up at him to see his eyes slowly open. It did not take him long to remember where he was and he smiled instantly at me, wrapping both arms around me and hugging me close to him. I returned the smile and rested my head back on his slowly rising and falling chest. His hand moved to my hair and I allowed my eyes to close again as he ran his fingers through it.

"Good morning," he whispered, his voice echoing in the darkness.

"Morning?" I asked, looking to the barn doors ahead of us to see any sign of light coming from beneath.

"I'm guessing around 4:00," he replied, "Usually I'm just getting in bed around this time."

He chuckled but I ignored his confession, not wanting to let my mind go there so early. "I need to get back home," I hated to admit this but it was the truth; I was still in my clothes from the previous day and I had school in a few hours. Jenna was most likely worried sick and I wanted the shady feeling that consumed me to disappear.

Damon groaned and hugged me tighter, not easing up at all as he said, "You promised you wouldn't leave me."

This time I couldn't help but laugh and I pushed away from him, resting my head on my arm beneath me to get a better view. He looked exactly as he had the night before - eyes glowing with that mysterious flare even in the dark, irresistible smile in place and hair perfectly untouched with no indication of the terrible couch cushions that his head had been on for hours. "Unreal," I thought, and as the words left my mouth I blushed instantly and broke our eye contact.

"What?" he asked, his smile changing from serene to devious.

"Nothing," I continued to avoid his stare but he sat up quickly and reached over to grab my arms, pinning me down beneath him.

He hovered over me for a few seconds, forcing me to look into his eyes again. His smile made me excited and nervous at the same time - but then again, being around him in general normally brought out those very same emotions. "I haven't gotten used to this feeling yet either," his eyes softened from playful to serious and he added, "I hope I never do," before leaning down to kiss me.

As the kiss deepened I could feel my insides heating up and I pushed him away. "I really have to go," It took all of my strength to say the words and the look on his face told me he was not happy with the idea either. He hung his head for a few seconds, obviously mustering up enough restraint to raise his hips away from mine and lay back down beside me.

I sat up before things could become heated again and reached for my cell phone. I used the screen as a flashlight to hunt for my blue jeans and when I found them I dressed slowly, Damon watching me from the floor the entire time. I noticed that I was not as cold as I had been when I woke up but now moving around in the crisp air the feeling was beginning to return. I put my jacket on and he finally sat up as well, finding his pants easily beside him. He slid them on and stood up to walk me to my car, wearing only a white wife beater and his faded jeans. I could not look at him for fear that I would never be able to leave so I kept an eye on my destination until I finally reached the car.

"So," I began, feeling childish before I had even begun. I had been tossing an idea around in my head before I fell asleep and I promised myself that I would ask him in the morning, no matter how stupid it made me appear. "The end of next week is Fall Break. There's a Halloween dance at school on Wednesday night... and afterwards there's always a party at Tyler Lockwood's house..." I stared at the ground, not wanting to see his expression.

"You want me to go to a high school dance with you?" I could hear the sarcasm in his voice and I wanted to suck the words back in; I knew I would regret asking.

"It won't be so bad," I finally looked at him; he was trying hard not to laugh but I could see in his eyes how badly he wanted to. "The theme is Masquerade this year, so no one will even see your face if you don't want them to."

"That would be perfect, except for the people who know who I am..." his eyes widened and his expression turned serious, "What about Stefan?"

I had obviously already considered this; I decided last night that telling Stefan would be the first step in allowing Damon and I to have a real relationship rather than just a series of secret rendezvous. I was ready and I hoped more than anything that he was too. "I think we should tell him," I said, studying his expression for a reaction.

His face remained unchanged, still serious and definitely displeased. "I'm not ready for that, Elena."

I felt as if a large weight had been dropped onto my chest and my stomach sank to my feet. I thought I was prepared for that response but until he said the words I had not realized how badly it would hurt. Damon fully intended on keeping me a secret and for some reason this made me feel utterly stupid. He was ashamed of our relationship and maybe not just because of my past with Stefan; maybe he also did not want the rest of the world to know that he was dating a teenager who attended school dances and house parties.

Damon must have noticed the disappointment on my face and he lifted my chin up with his thumb, the same way he had once done in this very spot - only it felt like it had been ages since that night and so much had changed already. "I'll think about it, okay? It's just a really big step. I'm all he has. I took him away from everyone and everything he's ever loved. How am I supposed to tell him that I took you, too?"

My first reaction to his response was that this meant he obviously knew that Stefan loved me; I wondered if he thought that I loved Stefan, too. I hoped the conversation would never go there because I honestly did not know the answer. For now, I knew he was right and I told myself to suck it up and stop acting like a child. "Just let me know," I forced a smile, "It would mean a lot to me."

The sound of my phone vibrating in my pocket startled me out of the awkward situation I had just put myself into. I looked down at the screen expecting to see Jenna's name; instead I saw Stefan's and my first reaction was to stuff the phone back into my pocket before Damon could see. I knew instantly how guilty that had made me look and I had no idea what explanation I would come up with if he had noticed.

"Are you still talking to him?" Damon stepped away, his expression shifting to a defensive, angry glare.

I stepped towards him and shook my head back and forth quickly, hoping that this would help to convince him of my innocence despite my previous reaction. "No, I'm not. But," I sighed as I reminded myself that honesty was the best pathway to a healthy relationship, especially in one already so eclectic, "He's been trying to talk to me. Yesterday in the hallway he told me he still loved me," Damon's nonchalant, careless expression had returned and my stomach churned again. This is the way that he had always appeared to me in the past and the way that I knew everyone else saw him. I hated that he was using this cold expression on me; it had been so long since I had been on the receiving end of it and I barely remembered how terrible it felt.

"You should get home," he said quietly, still standing out of arm's distance.

"Don't be upset, please. We had such a great night-" I tried to reach for his hand but he stepped backwards again, shaking his head.

"And now we have to get back to the real world," his statement hit me like a slap in the face and I stood there dumbfounded. This was one thing about Damon I did not think I could ever get used to – the way that his emotions could switch back and forth, on and off as if all he had to do was flip a switch in his head. I knew he did not mean the words to be as harsh as they sounded but I struggled with the assumption that he obviously could not let his guard down around me as much as I had hoped he could.

"I'm going to assume you meant that in the most positive way possible," I furrowed my eyebrows to let him know that I meant that statement to be treated sarcastically and I opened the car door. As I started to sit down I felt the door being pulled open further and Damon stepped in between me and the door, pulling me towards him to kiss me with barely enough warning for me to even react. The kiss was quick and emotionless, the first one of it's kind between us and I knew it must have been difficult for him to lower his wall even that much considering the emotions he had obviously begun to feel. I considered this a testament to how much he really was trying to change for me and I promised myself that he would get over this feeling in a few hours and things would be fine between us.

He walked away without saying another word and disappeared back inside the barn, letting the door creak halfway closed behind him.

"Bye," I whispered to myself as I closed the car door. I hated when this feeling took over but I vowed to not let it get to me this time. The sudden realization that I was in the same place I had been in last weekend when I had been abducted hit me, shaking me from my thoughts of the situation at hand. I turned my radio up as loud as I could and made my way down the dirt road and back into civilization. I felt like a criminal being out so early in the morning and I prayed the entire way home that no one would spot me on the road. I had never been so happy to pull into my driveway and luckily the house was still dark, indicating that no one had woken up yet and I might be able to sneak in unnoticed.

As I switched off the engine and grabbed my phone out of the center console I remembered the text that I had received from Stefan moments ago. Curiosity took over and I opened it, still sitting in the silence of the early morning in my car.

"Can you meet me outside before school today?" the text read.

I had to admit, as much as I hated the situation I was putting the brothers in by shoving myself in between them a part of me thrived on the attention that I was still receiving from Stefan. I knew this was selfish and I knew not to egg it on but aside from having stronger feelings for someone else, I had truly wanted to be with Stefan and until this point I had not been quite ready to let it all go yet. This morning taught me that Damon was more distraught about the situation than I had imagined he would be and I knew that I had to make my choice more clear to Stefan - somehow without letting him know that a choice was even involved.

I thought about it for a minute and finally responded, "Sure. Why are you awake so early?"

He responded almost instantly, "Couldn't sleep. You?"

I smiled, reliving the real reason that I was awake at this hour but instantly felt guilty and decided on answering, "Same."

...

Damon had been successful in keeping the guilt out of his head all weekend and throughout the day Monday. He even felt completely clear-headed and perhaps even happy when he had awoken with Elena in his arms on Tuesday morning; but when she decided to mention the school dance he was instantly reminded that his happiness meant his brother's suffering and he took ten mental steps backwards. Things with Elena were already getting too serious and he needed to step away to consider if all of this was worth betraying the one person he had always been able to count on. The thought occurred to him at times that perhaps Stefan would be happy for him and he would understand that although it was not meant to be between he and Elena, that did not necessarily mean that she was wrong for Damon too. Unfortunately his mind returned to all of the conversations he had with Stefan since the night he met Elena and he knew that Stefan had always thought she was different than all the other girls he had ever dated. Stefan had truly been in love with Elena and Damon believed wholeheartedly that when he told her he still felt the same about her it must be the truth.

When Damon was sure that Elena's car had pulled away he kicked the pallet that the two had slept on across the floor. When this proved to be insufficient in squalling his anger he punched the wooden wall beside him, leaving a noticeable crack. The painful sensation that flooded through his knuckles was enough to bring him back to reality and he collapsed onto the blue couch that held his secret. He looked around the room for a few minutes while he attempted to reign in his emotions and finally decided that he needed to remove himself from the suddenly all-too-familiar environment.

He cleaned up all trace of their occupancy and drove home, vowing to himself that this had to be the last time they visited the barn - each time he had left feeling worse than when he had arrived. When he got home Stefan's bedroom light was on, as was the light in the living room downstairs. He knew that Stefan had been awake after seeing that he had messaged Elena but he had hoped that he could avoid confrontation with his brother for the time being.

He entered the house as quietly as he could and started to make for the stairs before even removing his shoes. Before he could make it to the first step, Stefan's head lifted above the back of the couch and he yelled, "Hey, where have you been?"

Damon froze, closed his eyes briefly then spun around slowly to face his brother. "Third degree? That's new," he smiled smugly and walked into the living room. "Why the hell are you awake? And why are you already dressed? It's 5:00 in the morning."

"Haven't been able to sleep the past couple of nights. Ever since Saturday..." he sat upright on the couch and lowered the book that he had been reading to the cushion next to him.

At close glance Damon could see how terrible Stefan looked. It was not difficult to believe that he had been awake for three days straight and Damon felt a twinge of remorse. "I can see that. You look like shit," he left the room and walked into the kitchen, craving a scotch more than ever but allowing some sense of restraint to take control. Instead he settled for a water; he did not realize how thirsty he had been until the cold liquid hit his throat and he chugged half of the bottle at once.

"I don't know what it is," Stefan had joined him in the kitchen; he pulled up a chair at the cherry-wood table and sat down, still facing Damon. "About her, I mean. I can't stop thinking about her... I just feel like if she let me have another chance things would be different. I was too pushy before, I just need to let things be natural-"

Damon nearly spit the water in his mouth across the room as Stefan began his confession. He lowered it to the counter and cut Stefan off before he could go any further, "Call me a dick, but I think it's a little early to be talking about this kind of shit. You know I don't know anything about it," Stefan did not look surprised but Damon still felt terrible for acting this way. Truthfully, if this had been about any other girl he would have at least pretended to listen if it meant that Stefan might feel the least bit better just getting it all out. He watched as Stefan sat quietly now staring at the tile floor. "Just move on, Stefan. You're wasting your time," with that he exited the kitchen and did not stop until he was safely alone behind his bedroom door. He kicked his shoes off and threw his car keys at the wall on the other side of the room, wishing more than ever that he could figure out a way to shut everything out. As the idea of visiting the bridge entered his mind he decided it might be best to try to get some sleep; since he had never been a dreamer, this might be the only way to tune his thoughts out - at least for a few hours.

...

I arrived at school about fifteen minutes earlier than normal. Of course this was not difficult for me since I had been awake since 4:00 AM and I had plenty of time to get dressed and ready before it was time to leave. Luckily Jeremy had been easily coaxed into leaving early as well and he disappeared to find his friends as soon as I parked the car. I had hoped that I had beat Stefan and that I would have a few minutes to prepare myself for our "talk" but I noticed his car immediately upon glancing around the scantly inhabited parking lot. He must have seen me pull up as he was already on his way to my car when I noticed him. I got out quickly, hoping to appear much less nervous than I felt.

"Hey," he smiled but his eyes were clouded with insecurity. "Sorry for texting you so early this morning."

"It's okay, I was awake," I replied with a shrug. I had walked to the front of the car and I sat down lightly on the hood, hands folded in my lap and eyes focused on the ground beside Stefan's feet. "What did you want to talk about?"

I looked up briefly to see him scratch the back of his head; the look on his face made me even more anxious and I looked away again. "What I told you yesterday morning," he said quietly, stepping closer to me. He turned around and sat next to me on the hood; I wanted to scoot away instinctively but I remained in place. "I need to know how you feel, Elena. I know what happened a couple of weeks ago but I still don't have a good explanation. Nothing has changed for me," I could feel him staring at me but my eyes remained focused on the asphalt.

I thought about my word choice carefully before responding, "Things have changed for me, Stefan," I could not help but look over at him at this point and the disappointment on his face was evident immediately. Unthinking, I reached for his hand. His eyes met mine briefly and I released my grasp, feeling slightly embarrassed. "It's hard to explain, but I just don't feel the same way that I did about you before." There. I had finally gotten it out and while I did feel slightly relieved, I mostly still felt like a frigid bitch.

"What changed? That's what I need to know," he was looking at the ground now and for that I was thankful.

"I-I don't know," I shook my head, searching for some way to explain. I could not tell him the truth, that much I knew – but the challenging part about expressing my emotions now was that I would be lying if I told him that I didn't still care about him. That part had not changed; the only thing that was different now was the factor I could not discuss.

He interrupted before I had a chance to figure out my next move, "Is it someone else? Are you seeing someone else?"

My heart came to a brief halt and for a split second I thought that maybe he had caught on. A glance at his expression showed concern but no anger so I shook the thought aside. I decided that this might be a way out without having to divulge a full confession so I answered regretfully, "Yeah. Something like that."

Stefan nodded his head as if he had known all along. He was quiet for a few terrible seconds and I could cut the tension with a knife. Finally he pushed up off the car and turned to face me, hands shoved inside his pockets. "I'll wait," he said, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. I could not help but smile at his valiance but I had no response. "As long as it takes." He had started to back away and he continued to walk backwards for a few more steps before finally spinning around.

I let out the breath that I had been holding and stared up at the sky. Just as I had begun to run through everything that had just been said inside my head, a familiar squeal brought me out of my thoughts.

"Oooh! Have you finally come to your senses?" Caroline appeared beside me, plopping down on the hood where Stefan had just been sitting. I rolled my head to the side and stared at her, my expression leaving words irrelevant. She rolled her eyes and jumped back up. "Come on, it's cold out here," she reached for my hand and pulled me up next to her.

"So you're still talking to me after all I told you?" I teased as we walked slowly towards the school entrance.

"It would a lot more than a scandalous secret or two to make me stop talking to you, Lae," she looked at me the way that only Caroline could – a look that showed her capability to be a mother, a sister, and a friend combined. I made a mental note that I might refer to this statement if I ever decided to tell her about Damon and in that moment, I had never been so happy to be able to turn off my personal life and focus on the only things that had once mattered to me not so long ago – school and my best friend.


	28. Chapter 28

The state prison was a dreary, gray building that sat atop a hill surrounded in barbed wire. Klaus had been here to visit his father a few times a year for the past several years but it never got any easier. He always came alone and he was sure that he was the only visitor his father had ever received, aside from attorneys and investigators. Their encounters were never emotional and were typically very brief, but Klaus left with a heavy heart each time filled with regret for never saying the things he had always wanted to say. The last time he visited his father was right after Trey had been killed; his dad of course had no soft spot for any of Klaus' siblings and was nonchalant about the news at best. He could see how the accident had affected his son, however, and he made sure to lecture him on the importance of letting things go and staying out of trouble. _I don't need you to be my cellmate,_ he had said.

Today Klaus hoped that his father would empathize for his desire to seek revenge for a lost loved one despite the circumstances and that he would not be too angry when he learned what his son had been up to for the past several months. He needed his help today to connect the dots and he was sure that his father would have the answers he desired. He also had some interesting news to share that he knew his father would be very intrigued to hear.

He was familiar with the check-in routine and breezed through the paperwork and security checks quickly. His father was waiting for him at a table in the middle of the visitation room, guards in every direction. Of course he would have to be cryptic about their conversation so as not to incriminate himself in front of their audience; but then again, he and his father had mastered the art of saying without saying over the years so it would not be much different than any other visit.

"Father," he smiled as he approached the table and took a seat in the chair opposite of his dad. "You've been working out again, I see."

His father smiled and leaned back in the plastic chair, pretending to flex his muscles in jest. "You must want something, son. Starting with a compliment is a tactic I'm all too familiar with."

"You know me so well," Klaus enjoyed the lighter moments that he was able to share with his father but knew they never lasted long.

After a few seconds both of their smiles faded and his dad leaned in closer. "What's going on now?"

Klaus had prepared exactly what he would say to his father and he knew he would have to dive right in. "I found out what happened to Trey," he said quietly.

His father rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I thought I told you to stay out of it, Niklaus. He was nothing but trouble. If you ask me he got what he deserved."

Klaus clenched his jaw, trying his best to ignore the remark. "I didn't ask you. You remember your old friend Giuseppe," he quickly got back on track; at the mention of the familiar name he saw his father's eyes light up slightly.

He was quiet for a second as if contemplating the idea in his head. Eventually he nodded. "His boys are back in town, uh?" Klaus nodded slowly, conveying the rest of the story to his father through his eyes. "I can't say that I'm surprised, Nik. If it's revenge they wanted they chose the wrong guy. I couldn't care less about that kid. But maybe it's something else..." he looked down at the table then back up at his son, "I got some information since the last time we talked," his expression showed concern and Klaus instantly became nervous.

"What is it?" he demanded impatiently, keeping his voice as low as possible.

"Trey found his dad, Nik. He was in contact with him before he died. I don't know for sure but I feel like whatever happened to Trey had something to do with his dad. Maybe he told him about the diamond, I don't know."

"Diamond?" Klaus sat up in his chair, eyes wide. "What diamond?"

His dad sighed loudly, "It was never much of a big deal to me," he explained, "The bastard used your mother to steal from me when they first got married. They took one of my diamonds and some cash. Your mother confessed eventually, but she never got a chance to return it..." a tear formed in the corner of his eye and he tried nonchalantly to pat it away with his fingertip, "The night Salvatore let him go he bribed them with it. Salvatore took it; maybe Trey's dad wanted him to get it back."

Klaus leaned back again, his gaze fixated on the wall behind his father. It made perfect sense and explained why Trey was in Mystic Falls to begin with. Part of him instantly felt idiotic for assuming that the Salvatore brothers had truly been after his family for revenge. Trey had obviously been ultimately responsible for his own death and Klaus was angry with himself that he had not believed it sooner. His father had been right about Trey all along and he had been foolish to let his emotions get in the way of the truth. Furthermore, Klaus felt betrayed by his brother; he had obviously been keeping a powerful secret from him for a long time. He wondered briefly how long Trey had been in contact with his father. His thoughts returned to all of the shady conversations he had had with his brother in the months before he died and how many times he had mysteriously disappeared.

Klaus' father could see how angry Klaus was becoming and he interrupted his thoughts, "What happened to him is not your fault, Niklaus. I know that he was your brother and you loved him; but he was a punk, just like his dad. If it weren't the Salvatores it would have been someone else eventually. I've had a lot of time to think over the years, son," he waited until Klaus made eye contact to continue, "Leave them alone. It's not worth it. We've caused their family enough pain," he was talking very quietly now, almost as if he was trying to convince himself to let go as well.

Klaus considered his father's words but recognized that this was not the man he had known his entire life. He knew that even prison could not soften a man with a heart as cold as his own, and he had a feeling when he told his father the real reason he had come today he would see the harder side of him once again. "That's not the only thing I wanted to talk to you about," he began, transitioning his gaze into a convincing stare.

His father perked up from his suddenly sentimental moment and raised an eyebrow. "Something else happened," it was an observation, not a question.

"Yes. While we were in Mystic Falls, Kol got into some trouble. He followed a man who had been parked outside of the Salvatores' house. The man caught him and tried to kill him..." Klaus looked away at this point, unable to deal with the inevitable aloofness in his father's eyes, "Stabbed nearly to death. He almost died," he resumed eye contact again, waiting for a response.

He had been right; his father looked less than concerned and not the least bit surprised. "I could say 'I warned you' but I think I've done that enough today. Who was it?" Klaus' father knew now that the reason his son had come was not to get advice; it was to tell him what he had undoubtedly discovered because, from the looks of it, his investigation had turned up some news that may be valuable to him.

This was one of those moments where Klaus knew he would have to be very cryptic. Instead of answering his father's question with the name that he and his brother had uncovered, he just continued to stare into his face, urging him to pull the answer out of his expression. After a few seconds it had worked, as it usually did. The answer was obvious; his father's face immediately hardened.

"No," he shook his head, fists clenched, "Dammit, Niklaus I told you that town was nothing but trouble. Stay away from him, do you hear me? He has connections all over the state, you'll end up right here beside me before you know it if you get involved with him-" he was whispering but there was no denying the rage in his voice.

"Dad," Klaus interrupted, leaning forward to place his hand in the middle of the table as if to pause his father's rant. "How can you say that? How long has it been? How many nights have you lost sleep thinking about what all you would do to the bastard if you ever got the chance?"

His father fell silent briefly, his son's words obviously getting to him as he had intended. "Not near as many as the days I spent convincing myself he wasn't worth it," he finally responded, "Niklaus, I can't be that person anymore. I could never ask you to get revenge for what he did to me," he leaned forward, placing his handcuffed wrists onto the table so that he could get very close to his son's face, "but I'm not going to stop you from doing what you need to do."

Klaus smiled victoriously; those were the words that he had come here to hear. As he leaned back in his chair the guard behind his father announced that time was up. He watched as his father stood up, never losing eye contact.

"Be careful, son," his dad said with an expression that Klaus had rarely seen, "You're all I have."

Klaus' smile faded into an introspective grimace and he briefly pondered the sincerity in his father's words. He was right, he was all that his dad had left; but there was someone to blame for all that he had lost and now this man had made a personal vendetta against Klaus as well. He overlooked the urge to seek revenge for many years to honor his father's wishes, but there was no denying now that after what had just happened to one of the few family members he had left he would not be able to control himself any longer. It would not be easy, that much was for sure; but he had begun to develop a plan. Revenge in this case could not be as obvious as he wanted it to be, but he had decided that the best form of payback was tit for tat and he had learned that this man had a great deal to lose. Soon he would see how it felt to lose all that you had worked for your entire life - your family, your friends, and the respect of those that had once looked up to you. In an unlikely turn of events, Klaus also discovered that his most recent enemies might prove to be the most appropriate allies in his new battle.

...

Several days had passed since Damon had seen Elena last. He successfully avoided confrontation unnoticed for the first couple of days, but by Friday she was becoming suspicious and he knew he would not be able to run away from his problems for much longer. He wanted desperately to be with her again but seeing Stefan so upset every day this week had brought him to back to his unfortunate reality and he could not handle the way it made him feel. He hated that he suddenly cared so much about what someone else thought of him; but it had always seemed that Stefan was the one person who could make him feel guilty even when he had not done anything wrong. He owed his brother his life and he had always been able to protect him from heartbreak. Now the tables had turned; he could not protect Stefan from himself.

Damon had begun to re-frequent the bar that he and Jeremy had spent so much time at previously. He knew it was best to stay away from Elena's friends at The Grille and being here, sitting in the same bar stool that he had sat in the night that he had realized he was falling for Elena, brought him back to simpler times and allowed him to think about her without regret. This is where he had chosen to spend his Friday evening this week and he was thankful that Elena had not suggested another rendezvous during their conversation earlier; he was afraid at this point he would not be able to resist.

It was close to 8:00 and he was on his second drink. A much older man who he had learned was the owner had been helping behind the bar, subduing the unnatural rush of customers. As things began to die down the man strolled casually to Damon with a full glass of scotch and pushed it in his direction.

"Apple doesn't fall far from the tree," he had said with a nostalgic smile.

Damon stared at him with a questioning brow and a half-smile, wondering if the old man was senile or had a case of mistaken identity. "Come again?" he asked as he continued to stare without elaborating.

"Oh, nothing. I just meant that you take after your dad," he answered, crossing his arms and studying Damon's face more intently, "Got that crazy smile and the same taste in liquor."

Damon was visibly taken aback. He blinked a few times but was not sure how to respond initially. "You knew my dad?" he said finally, his voice a little more excited than he had anticipated.

"Oh, sure. He was my best customer," the man answered. "When he was in town, that is. Mysterious man, that one. Brilliant man."

Damon smiled warmly at his new friend and watched as he turned around to walk into the kitchen. The man emerged again after a brief minute with a stack of photographs. Damon's eyebrows furrowed again as he watched him thumb through the photos. Finally he found the one he was looking for and slid it across the bar in Damon's direction. Damon picked it up quickly and could not contain his emotion as he saw his father smiling back at him. He was sitting in a stool a few down from where Damon now sat; the owner was in the seat next to him, arm around his shoulders. Damon's father had his scotch raised in a toast to the photographer and both men were beaming ear to ear.

"This is great," Damon said after a few seconds, looking up at the man behind the bar. "Thank you."

He was smiling proudly and he reached for the picture as Damon handed it back to him. "I think it's time to bring it out of the vault," he said with a chuckle as he approached a cork board on the wall above all of the many bottles of liquor on the counter. He found a thumbtack and stuck the picture in the center of the board where it blended nicely with all of the other pictures of Mystic Saloon regulars.

"How did you know who I was?" Damon asked curiously, anticipating the answer already.

"I'd know that smile anywhere," he answered. "I've seen you in here a few times. Just never had a chance to say hello," he was still smiling and Damon instantly felt a strange connection to the man; he had not met many people who had anything positive to say about his father and he welcomed the feeling. "Drinks are on me tonight, partner. It's the least I can do for all your dad did for me over the years. Name's Earl, by the way."

Damon raised his glass in Earl's direction, "Thanks, man."

Earl disappeared to the other side of the bar again and Damon watched as he interacted smoothly with some belligerent bikers. His gaze returned to the picture on the cork board. "Cheers," he said out loud quietly as he took a long swig of his drink.

Over the next hour he glanced at his phone on many occasions. He and Elena's conversation had slowed to a halt and he was beginning to wonder where she might be. As an unwelcome feeling of jealousy began to overwhelm his thoughts he started to consider calling her; before he could make a decision one way or the other he saw someone approach out of the corner of his eye. He turned to the side and was met by Elena's shy smile.

"What the hell?" he began, but confusion turned to elation quickly and he stood up to hug her. "Are you spying on me?" he asked playfully as he pulled away and looked down at her from arm's length.

She was still smiling awkwardly and now she shrugged, "If that's what it takes for a girl to see her boyfriend," she answered.

Damon felt a strange shock at the sound of the word 'boyfriend'. He had not been anyone's boyfriend in a very long time and he had been avoiding that conversation for a reason. He hated labels and the expectations that came along with them. Just the thought of having to fit into a predetermined box inside someone's mind made him instantly want to do whatever he could to step outside of it. Rather than dwell on the semantics he concentrated on the overwhelming feeling of pride he felt that Elena had wanted to see him badly enough that she ignored all of his objections to do so.

"I'm glad you're here," he leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her lips, ignoring for a brief moment that they were in a public venue filled with many local residents.

Elena pulled away and stared up at him in a way that made him forget all of the conflict he had experienced mentally this week. "Well, are you going to buy me a drink?" she folded her arms, feigning arrogance.

He pulled a bar stool out for her and she slid in next to him. He signaled for Earl who noticed his new visitor quickly.

"Ah, now this is an unlikely pairing," Earl said inquisitively as he approached. Damon and Elena looked at each other to see if the other had any indication what he was referring to but neither appeared to be any wiser. "Never mind that. What'll you have Ms. Gilbert? A Sprite?"

Elena blushed at the obvious reference to her age and asked a little defensively, "How did you know my name?"

Earl continued to smile, running a rag over the bar counter casually. "Knew your parents. I was-"

"You were at the funeral," she remembered suddenly, allowing herself to smile politely for the first time.

"Yeah," Earl looked down at the counter briefly with a frown, then recuperated and looked at Damon. "Do you make a habit of bringing underage girls into my bar?" he was smiling but his question made both Damon and Elena nervous. They looked at one another again but neither had a response. "I'm kidding. You're not cops, are ya?" Their faces relaxed and Elena shook her head as if the question had not been in jest. Earl fumbled around the counter for a wine glass and poured a dark red variety into it before placing the glass in front of Elena. "Your mom's favorite," he said with a wink.

Elena's cheeks were still red but she smiled in appreciation at Earl. She had known that her mother loved red wine but she had never thought to try it at any of the parties she had been at over the years. She took a small sip and was relieved that it went down smoothly. "Thanks," she mumbled. Earl flashed his smile one last time, eyes moving from Elena to Damon. He shook his head, reflecting on some inner conflict no doubt and returned to his other customers.

"He's right you know. I bet at least ten people in this bar knew you parents and know how old you are," Damon looked over at Elena with a cautious, overprotective expression.

She glared at him in response, "Does it look like I care about what anyone else thinks?" she raised her glass to her lips and took a larger sip than before. This one did not go down quite so easily and she cleared her throat as she lowered it back to the bar.

Damon laughed happily, "You never cease to amaze, Ms. Gilbert," he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against him, kissing the top of her head.

They sat quietly sipping on their drinks for a few minutes until Elena finally broke the silence. "I know you don't want to talk about this," she began and Damon immediately took a deep breath, shooting his eyes sideways at her. "But...the dance is in a few days. I would hate to have to find another date on such short notice," she hoped that Damon would take this as a joke meant to persuade him but his expression remained unchanged. She frowned and continued, "I know you're still worried about Stefan. I talked to him this week," Damon's face shifted slightly and she could see the color draining from his cheeks. His frown stayed in place. "I told him I was seeing someone else," she finished, leaving out the part about how he had said he would wait for her.

Damon thought about this for a few minutes, connecting the dots about why his brother had been extra sulky this week. "He didn't want to know who?" He asked curiously.

She shook her head and sipped her wine. "He was upset but he understands now. I think if we're going to tell him this is the best time to do it. The longer we wait-"

"I don't know if I ever want him to know, Elena," he watched her frown deepen and he felt terrible making her feel this way. "You just don't understand. And I don't expect you to."

"Understand what? How it feels to have no one else in the world besides your brother?" She was very defensive now; Damon knew she had a point and that of all people she might be the one who could actually understand the relationship that he and Stefan had. But he also knew that this life was very new to her; he and Stefan had been through many trying experiences over the past decade and through it all they had both emerged on the other side closer than ever, against the odds. He was sure Elena would get to that point with Jeremy one day but until then the only thing they had in common in that department were dead parents. He was quiet as he thought of how to word his response. Before he could speak she continued, "If I were doing something that I knew my brother would be unhappy about, I would think being honest with him would be better than keeping it a secret."

He saw the desperation on her face and he knew that she was coming from a good place. "Okay," he sighed, "Just let me figure how to tell him."

Elena's eyes lit up instantly and she pushed her stool backwards then stood to hug him. She lingered after the hug and rested her forehead against his, moving to sit in his lap. "Think of how amazing it will be to do this in public. Any time we want," she kissed him deeply but he had a difficult time reciprocating her passion. She did not appear to notice and she pulled away slowly, returning to her seat. As she studied his vacant expression she placed her hand on top of his. "I care about him too, Damon. I don't want to see him hurt. But he needs to know."

Damon nodded, gulping down the rest of his scotch in one long swig. He slammed his glass back down onto the counter a little harder than he had intended to, causing Earl and the bikers on the opposite side to glance in their direction.

At the end of the bar, Earl let out a throaty chuckle as he saw what had captivated his customer's attention.

"Wait, isn't that...?" one man squinted his eyes as if this would make the blurred image more clear.

"Who?" another man asked, obviously unaware who they were staring at.

"Salvatore's kid and the Gilbert girl," Earl answered casually. The first man laughed and the second let out a few shocked expletives. "Grayson would roll over in his grave if he knew who his baby girl was kissing on, eh?" Earl shook his head once again. The men continued to laugh in speculation. Behind the counter Earl reached for the stack of photographs he had set down earlier. He flicked through them once again before stopping on the picture he now sought. For a second he contemplated adding the picture of Guiseppe Salvatore and Grayson Gilbert to his cork board; he finally decided against it, reminding himself that some secrets were better left buried.


	29. Chapter 29

Wednesday morning came in the blink of an eye. Damon had been awake all night with the realization that he had no time left to put it off any longer. The dance was tonight and he would have to tell Stefan this morning. It was 6:30 AM and he knew Stefan would be getting ready for school. He rolled easily out of bed and stood in front of the mirror above his dresser for a few seconds. He hated the person he saw for the coward he had become; but he also hated that this would be the last time Stefan looked at him the way he always had. He walked over to his closet and went inside to grab a shirt before heading downstairs. On the back of the closet door hung the suit and mask that Elena had picked out for him during their secret shopping trip in the city on Sunday. He could feel its presence taunting him and he fought the urge to tear it down from the hanger and throw it out of his second-floor window. The suit represented the public outing of he and Elena's relationship, and as the days had ticked on since Friday night he was not only still skeptical but also even more miserable about the prospect of humiliation for he and Elena both.

He closed his eyes, rolled his head from side to side to stretch the stiffness out of his neck and started downstairs, pulling the T-shirt over his head as he walked. Stefan was in the kitchen sipping on a steaming cup of coffee. He looked up at Damon as he entered the kitchen. Damon forced a smile and walked to the fridge; he grabbed a carton of orange juice and took a few long swigs, playing over in his mind what he had wanted to say. He had rehearsed it several times throughout the night but now the right words would not find him.

"Are you still going to the dance tonight?" He began; maybe if Stefan had changed his mind about the dance he could delay the inevitable another day.

Stefan sighed dramatically, looking at Damon with a painful expression. "Yes. I'm graduating soon and it's my last high school dance. I can't really pass it up. I just hope she doesn't bring her new boyfriend," he shook his head and continued to sip his coffee.

Damon rolled his eyes behind Stefan's back thinking how that may have just been the worst answer he could have hoped for. "About that," Damon closed his eyes, still standing back to back with his brother. He could feel Stefan turning around and he hesitated a moment before turning to face him.

"What?" Stefan's eyes were wide and his lips were parted slightly, "Do you know who she's seeing? Have you seen him?"

Damon breathed in deeply through his nose and exhaled, doing his best to maintain expressionless. "Stefan, you need to understand something. Elena wasn't meant for you. She's moved on, and you need to move on too."

Stefan's shoulders relaxed as he took in his brother's words and he walked to the other side of the kitchen to get his car keys. "She may have moved on but I don't believe she's not meant for me. I'm telling you Damon; I know it sounds immature. I feel like she's the one for me and just like I told her the other day - I'm going to wait for her until she figures it out. I don't care how long it takes."

Damon felt like he had been punched in the gut. He felt his jaw dropping open and he closed it quickly, turning back to the fridge to avoid eye contact with Stefan. He opened the door to cover his face and pretended to be searching for something inside. There was absolutely no way he could tell Stefan now; he would have to tell Elena he couldn't go tonight.

_Hell, maybe I should just break up with her altogether_, he thought to himself. Maybe Stefan was right and she was meant for him; maybe he was just standing in their way. He could not deny the betrayal he felt that Elena had omitted the part about Stefan saying he would wait for her. He wondered how such a romantic notion had made Elena feel. Perhaps the reason she did not tell him that part was that she wanted Stefan to wait for in case things didn't work out with Damon; at least then she would still have someone else on the back-burner.

All of the anger, confusion, and jealousy he had begun to feel made his thoughts become unreasonably suspicious and he wanted to remove himself from the situation more than ever. He was angry with himself, with Elena, and now for some reason with Stefan. Why couldn't his brother just move on and let her go? If she was meant for Stefan that meant she obviously was not meant for him, and despite the fact that Stefan was his brother he hated the idea of anyone standing in the way of him getting what he wanted. He had not been this confused since the night that Elena confessed her feelings to him and he had begun to second-guess everything that had happened since then.

He waited until Stefan was out of the kitchen before retreating back into his room. There he went straight to his closet, yanked the suit off of it's hook and threw it into a metal wastebasket by his dresser. He fumbled around for a few minutes inside a junk drawer until he finally found a lighter. He stood above the trash can and flicked the switch, exposing the flame into the air. He stared at it for a few seconds contemplating his actions and depicting what all this represented. After a minute or two he finally released the lever to extinguish the flame and threw the lighter into the wall. He stepped backwards and collapsed onto his bed, running his fingers over his face and through his hair. It had been a long time since he had needed his medication to calm his thoughts but he feared now that it would be necessary to get through the day without getting into trouble.

He walked cautiously into his bathroom and stared at the medicine cabinet on the wall, approaching it as if it were a venomous snake. He opened it slowly; the pill bottles stared back at him as they always had, reminding him how weak-minded and out of control he truly was. As anger continued to boil inside of him he reached for a familiar bottle on the back of the shelf and shook several pills into his hand. He popped them into his mouth and splashed some water from the sink to his lips to wash them down. Afterwards he stared at the stranger in the mirror, already feeling different than the way he had when he had looked at himself earlier in the morning. He decided on one last momentary lapse in judgement and he reared his fist backwards then slammed it into into the glass before him. As the mirror shattered and fell into the sink he stared at what remained of his reflection. Blood had begun to drip down his knuckles; droplets decorated the shards of glass in the basin and for the first time in days he smiled honestly, content with himself and his actions once again.

...

I awoke very nervous on Wednesday morning. As the hours ticked on my nerves turned to excitement; but as soon as I saw Stefan in first period my excitement turned to guilt and I could barely even look at him. He looked a little more upset than normal but continued to smile at me when we made eye contact. Based on this reaction I knew that there was no way that Damon had told him about us and I was beginning to get angry. Did he expect to just waltz into the dance with me tonight and hope that Stefan would not make a scene? Then again, Damon did have a flare for the dramatic so maybe that was exactly what he had planned on doing.

I sent him a text message when I had not heard from him by lunchtime and by the time the dismissal bell rang at the end of the day I still had not received a response. My anger had succeeded in causing me to lose concentration in the majority of my classes throughout the day and I believed that I even failed a test during fourth period because of it. As I walked to my car I decided I did not care who heard my conversation; I dialed his number and waited very impatiently as the phone rang. After the fourth ring, just as I prepared myself to leave an angry message, he finally answered.

"Hello?" he sounded distant - either tired or drunk, and I was willing to bet which explanation was the culprit.

"Are you drunk?" I demanded, receiving a couple of strange looks from some sophomores as I stormed past them in the parking lot.

Damon was quiet for a few seconds. "No," he answered eventually and made no further comment.

"Why haven't you answered my texts all day? You didn't tell Stefan, did you?" I had so many questions I could barely wait for him to respond before spitting them all out.

"I've been busy," he sounded as if he was bothered by my call and for a second I wondered if I was overreacting.

I paused, waiting for him to answer my second question. When no answer came I assumed he had meant his response to be an explanation for both. I heard a female's giggling voice in the background followed immediately by the deeper voice of a male. "Where are you?" I asked nervously.

"I'm out, Elena. I'm allowed to go places without telling you, right?" I could hear the sarcastic undertone in his voice and there was no mistaking the intoxication in his slang.

"You're allowed to do whatever you want, Damon. You've made that perfectly clear," I closed my eyes and ran my hand over my forehead in contemplation. I could not believe this was happening right now; but then again, why was I even surprised?

"Glad we're on the same page," he laughed and I could hear the voices of the others in the background joining along with him.

"Damon, are you coming tonight?" I had a feeling I knew what his answer would be now but I needed to hear him say it.

"You just don't get it, do you? I'm a fucking mess, Elena. How can you still want me?" He was quieter now and the sarcasm was only remotely noticeable. The slur, however, was unmistakable.

"Maybe I'm a mess too," I whispered, hoping that maybe he wouldn't even hear my response. It was the truth; I was a total wreck, and it was all because I had suddenly realized that no matter what terrible things this man did in his past or how many different ways he tried to hurt me, I was falling in love with him and I was powerless to stop it.

"I gotta go," he said after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"Wait-" I could not let him hang up without answering my question. If he did not give me a definite response I knew that I would spend the entire night waiting for him, hoping he would show up but knowing deep down that I would be disappointed.

It was too late; the sound on the other end of the line stopped abruptly and I lowered the phone, staring at it as if I expected the screen to have all of the answers I so desperately craved. I looked around me at the students laughing, discussing break plans, and planning dance time lines - a subtle reminder that I was on a different planet emotionally from the man I loved. As I saw Caroline exit the school and spot me across the lot I quickly scrambled into my car and started the engine. I pulled out of my parking spot and rolled up to where Jeremy was standing on the curb by the road with some friends. I motioned for him to get in and we drove away. As I got closer to home a few silent tears escaped down my cheeks unnoticed and I could not wait to be in the privacy of my room - the only place where my secret relationship and all of its flaws could truly be exposed.

...

Damon awoke from a nightmare - the first dream he could remember having in at least five years. He jolted upright and looked around, studying his environment as he usually did upon awakening. He was in his room and it was dark outside. He had a pounding headache and his mind was spinning from the combination of mood-altering drugs and alcohol that he had consumed throughout the day. His thoughts shifted to panic mode as he fumbled around for his phone. He found it on the floor beside his night stand; he picked it up and checked the screen for any explanation of time or how he had ended up here. It was 7:00 and he had no messages or missed calls. He reached for his bedside lamp and illuminated the room. He saw the suit in the trash can by the dresser and stood up to approach it. The room spun slightly for a moment while he gained his bearings but he was eventually able to retrieve it from the wastebasket. He laid the suit out onto the bed and held the mask in his hand, turning it over and over in deep reflection.

After he had hung up with Elena earlier he pounded another drink and two more pills to try to wash away the empty feeling that had suddenly consumed him again. When it refused to go away he sought advice from the strangers he had met at the pub. Their drunken wisdom taught him that he had already known what he wanted to do; all he needed to do was grow some balls and do it. They cheered for him happily as he stumbled out of the bar to his car. After that things were blurry; he could not quite remember getting home and he certainly did not remember getting into his bed. Yet here he was, and as fate would have it the dance had only just begun - he might still have time to make things right.

He knew he would not have time for a shower so he cleaned up in Stefan's bathroom, remembering upon entering his own that his sink was not in working condition. After thirty minutes he was dressed and he stood in front of the full-length mirror in his bedroom, studying his reflection once again. He had certainly had better days; for this he was thankful for the dance theme and he added the mask as a finishing touch. Elena had been right, it really was the perfect disguise. Behind the mask he could be whoever he wanted to be for Elena. It was when the mask came off that the truth would be exposed, and although he knew it would not take Stefan long to connect the dots he would at least have a short time to talk to Elena before he would need to deal with his brother. He took one last look and grabbed his keys off of the floor, making a bee-line for his car before his thoughts had a chance to catch up with him.

...

"Would you quit being so depressing?" Caroline grabbed my shoulders and gave me a gentle shake, "Coming to a dance alone is not that big of a deal. I told you you can dance with Tyler whenever you want!"

I continued to stare at the door to the gymnasium and forced a smile. "I'm just not having the best day," I admitted, finally meeting her stare.

She poked out her bottom lip and pulled me in for a hug. As she pulled away she reached for my hand and twirled me around in a circle, causing me to smile uncontrollably despite how miserable I felt. "A woman this gorgeous should never be unhappy," she announced loudly.

Cheeks red and having gained the attention of several onlookers at this point I looked down to glance over my outfit. Damon had picked out a black sequin dress for me to wear; it was flowy and backless and my mother's necklace and earrings went flawlessly with it. The mask that I wore had a combination of black, white, and silver feathers and shimmering jewels. Caroline was right, and I vowed in that moment that I would not let Damon ruin my night. I grabbed her hand and spun her around as she had done to me, then we danced together for several minutes until Tyler finally stole her away.

Out of breath and still smiling from ear to ear, I walked to the refreshment table for a drink. I lifted my mask to my forehead and sipped on a glass of punch, instantly refreshed.

"I find it very difficult to believe that someone so striking should ever be left alone," a familiar voice whispered loudly over the music into my ear. I turned around and studied the man before me; a black suit with a skinny black necktie and a plain black mask. If it weren't for the white undershirt beneath the jacket I would have been convinced that this was Damon; but we had decided on an entirely black ensemble for the occasion for him on Sunday and I knew instantly that I was in Stefan's presence, not his brothers.

"Hey Stef," I felt instantly nostalgic at the sound of his voice and the way that his compliment made me feel. "You're dateless too?"

He laughed and his eyes shone brightly from behind the mask. "Did you forget what I told you about waiting?" He answered.

I wished that I still had the mask over my face to hide my embarrassment. After a few seconds a slow song began to play overhead and suddenly nothing seemed more appropriate to me than a familiar embrace. "Well, there's no sense in both of us standing here like wallflowers. Would you like to dance?" I lowered my mask over my eyes and held my hand out.

He smiled happily and took my hand without hesitation. "Easiest question I've been asked in a long time," he laced his fingers through mine and pulled me to the floor beside Caroline and Tyler. Caroline raised her mask to wink at me over Tyler's shoulder as he spun her around to face me and I shook my head at her, the smile never leaving my face. I looked up at Stefan for a brief moment as we danced, bent arm's length apart. He was staring down at me with the most content expression I had seen him possess in weeks. Unable to avoid returning the same look, I decided on pulling him closer so that I would not have to hide my contentment. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes to allow the moment to consume me. For the first time all night I forgot about how miserable I had been all day and I wondered how long this might last.

...

Damon stood in the doorway of the gymnasium and looked around. He recognized one slight problem with his current situation; every woman in the room was disguised and there were so many wearing black dresses. Fortunately it did not take him long at all to spot Elena on the opposite side of the room; unfortunately, however, was what he saw when he found her. She was wrapped tightly in another man's embrace, eyes closed and smile visible even from this distance. Of course he knew that the man behind the mask was his brother. Stefan's head was against the top of hers, his eyes closed as well and expression reflecting one who had found something he had been missing. Without considering the implications Damon slowly removed the mask from his face and let his hand drop to his side. He stared at the sight ahead of him and waited for the anger to consume him. Nothing came to the surface and all he felt was an empty, sinking feeling of nothingness. He continued to stare at the scene unfolding before him, watching as the song came to an end and the two slowly pulled away from one another.

Elena looked up at Stefan and he back down at her. Their smiles had disappeared and their arms remained entwined as another faster song amplified through the room. Couples around them broke apart and began dancing in much less intimate ways, but they continued to stare at one another for what felt to Damon like hours. He knew very well what was about to happen but he could not look away. Finally Stefan leaned down; Elena stayed precisely where she was but she did not move away when his lips touched hers.

Damon blinked as the reality of what was happening before him sunk in. He looked away quickly and down at the mask in his hand. He stared at it for a few seconds, unable to think of another move to make. Finally he decided there was nothing more to see and there was nothing he wanted to say to either Elena or Stefan. He dropped the mask and turned to walk away before it had even hit the ground. Still unsure of how he was able to remain so calm, he got into his car and drove away. As he pulled out of the school parking lot he looked at his eyes in the rear view mirror and spoke out loud to his reflection: "So this is love."


	30. Chapter 30

"No," I pulled away from Stefan as soon as I realized what was happening. Instinctively I looked at the door and for a second I almost thought that I saw the shadow of a man exiting as I watched the door swing closed but I shook the thought out of my mind. "Stefan, I can't," I dropped my hands from his arms and retreated to the bleachers. I could feel him following me and I had no idea what else to say to him.

"I'm sorry. I thought...I'm sorry," he sat down next to me without waiting for an invitation and I could see how embarrassed he was.

The soft spot that I held in my heart for him would not allow me to be truly angry with him, but the guilt I felt now was fighting its way to the surface. I was confused and hurt, angry and ashamed, and I had no idea what to do about any of it. "I told you I'm seeing someone else," I whispered to him softly, avoiding eye contact once again.

I could tell Stefan was contemplating his response. Finally he said quietly, "Well I don't see him here now. Seems like a real great guy."

At first I wanted to get defensive about Stefan's accusation. As I thought about it, however, I realized that he was absolutely right. If Damon wanted to be here with me he could have been, and I wouldn't have needed to seek solace with Stefan. I looked into Stefan's eyes; we had both removed our masks and this was truly the first time in weeks that I had looked at him without considering how it would make Damon feel. He always looked at me with such hopefulness and pride; like if I gave him the chance to be seen with me he would parade me through the streets and yell out loud to everyone he met how happy he was to be seen with me. Maybe I was just bitter about how opposite Damon was in this department, but suddenly this aspect of Stefan's personality that I had once considered childish and naive had become insanely attractive.

I looked down into my lap where my fingers were toying with the string of my mask. "I just have a lot going on right now. So does he. It's...complicated," I wanted so badly to tell Stefan everything. I wanted to tell him who the mysterious other man in my life was so that maybe he would understand how strange I had been acting towards him. For a second I considered doing it; Damon had betrayed my trust today so what did it matter if I did the same to him? As I looked at Stefan again I realized why Damon had been unable to tell his brother our secret. It was impossible to allow myself to hurt him when he just appeared so innocent; I would never be able to forgive myself for taking that away from him.

Before either of us could delve any further into the situation at hand Caroline approached the bleachers and stood in front of me with her arms crossed. "What are you two losers doing sitting over here?" she demanded. When she saw the expression on our faces her smile faded and her arms fell to her side. She took a seat on the other side of me and reached for my hand in my lap. "What's wrong, Lae? Are you okay?"

I whipped on my famous pretend smile and nodded my head. "I'm fine, Care. Just talking about some things with Stefan."

Caroline looked from me to Stefan and back at me again. "I'm about ready to blow this dance and head to Tyler's. You ready?" She squeezed my hand and I was so thankful that she had read the situation properly enough to know I needed saving.

"Never been more ready," I answered. She pulled me up beside her and we both looked back down at Stefan. I felt torn about leaving him here when I had not quite figured out my feelings yet and I hated that I was ruining his night. "Are you coming?" I asked, still managing to smile.

The corners of his lips turned upwards just slightly and he studied my face for a minute as if trying to decide if I was just being polite or if I really did want him to come. "Sure," he said finally and stood to join us.

We collected Tyler and Caroline announced to some of our other friends that they could feel free to join us whenever they were ready. As we walked out the door I saw a black mask on the ground and I nearly hesitated to pick it up. It looked eerily similar to the one that I had chosen for Damon. I continued to stare at it as I walked outside, studying it as best I could until the door closed.

"What are you looking at it?" Caroline pulled on my arm, snapping me back into reality.

"Nothing," I shook my head and kept walking to my car. Once inside I took my phone out, just in case. No activity whatsoever. I sighed and once again talked myself into staying positive as I drove to Tyler Lockwood's house.

The Lockwood mansion was perhaps the largest estate in our small town. Of course this made sense considering Tyler's father was the mayor of Mystic Falls. Every year his mother and father took a trip to the mountains during Fall Break; they knew what went on while they were away but had always decided to look the other direction, as did most parents in town. This would be the first year that I would not have to lie to my parents about my whereabouts after the Fall Dance; I was truthful with Jenna, who remembered legendary parties from her own high school days not so long ago. She appreciated my honesty and simply instructed that I keep an eye on my brother and check in throughout the night. As I parked my car in Tyler's driveway I sent her a quick text then checked my makeup and hair in the vanity mirror. As I looked at myself briefly I could see the guilt behind my own reflection and I closed the mirror quickly.

By the time I stepped out of the car Caroline and Tyler were already headed inside to prepare for the rest of their guests; Stefan was slowly approaching my car with his hands in his pockets. I immediately second-guessed my decision to invite him, realizing that until everyone else arrived I would be forced to entertain him alone.

"You can go in, I'll be there in a minute. Need to call Jenna," I smiled politely at him and he nodded. I waited until the front door had closed behind him to take my cell phone out of my clutch. I dialed Damon's number and held my breath, my stomach turning flips instantly. Each ring made me more nervous and by the time I reached his voice mail I felt like I might throw up. I hung up quickly and slipped the phone back into my purse, then I continued to stand in the driveway hugging my arms to my chest and shivering. I closed my eyes and breathed the cold air into my lungs, calming my nerves. After a few minutes I knew that Caroline would come looking for me if I did not get inside to help her set up so I collected myself and entered the foyer.

I managed to stay busy preparing the house for the next hour with Caroline. Tyler and Stefan began setting up the bar area and kegerator so I did not have much interaction with him at all. As people started to flood in around 10:00 I was finally able to relax on the couch. I had changed into jeans and a strapless halter for the occasion and I embraced the solitude I received as I watched Caroline do what she did best - entertain. She hung all over Tyler despite his shameless attempts to flirt with nearly ever other cheerleader on the team when she wasn't looking. I found this mini-drama to be a nice vacation from my own and I shamelessly enjoyed being suddenly so average among all of my friends.

Eventually Stefan approached me on the couch and sat next to me, handing me a red plastic cup filled with a pale pink liquid. I lifted the drink to my mouth and was nearly knocked out by the alcoholic fumes. I looked at Stefan inquisitively and he laughed at my reaction.

"We're only young once," he said, bumping his cup against mine.

I smiled, relishing in the feeling of teenage normalcy for the first time in weeks. Being here like this was where a girl my age should be, and although I loved every scandalous moment I spent with Damon there was nothing quite like the feeling of being young again to remind me what true happiness used to be like. I took a long sip of my drink, finding that the swallowing part got easier each time I attempted to drink lately. After three more sips the drink went down much more smoothly and I barely noticed the strong odor.

"I'm sorry about everything lately, Stefan," I confessed to him, the liquid courage already getting to me.

"You don't have to apologize about the way you feel. I understand; you're confused and you've been through a lot. But you'll realize one day what I've realized about us," he had obviously been drinking with Tyler for quite some time as the arrogant side of him that I had rarely seen had already begun to come out.

I couldn't help but smile at his inability to give up. Before I could stop myself I said, "And one day you'll realize why I'm so sorry."

His smile faded briefly but I could tell that he chose to ignore the comment and he took another long swig from his cup. "Let's dance again," he whispered, grabbing my hand.

Before I could object he pulled me up from the couch. My drink sloshed out of the cup and onto my hand but I did not care. I followed him to the middle of the room by the stereo speakers controlled by our mock DJ, giggling the entire time. This time we danced much faster than before, face to face and both still holding our cups in one hand. He kept his free hand pressed against my back and with each second that passed he pulled my hips closer to his, rocking unabashedly against me. I imagined how crazy the two of us must look; neither of us were entirely graceful and we certainly would not be entering a dance competition any time soon, but I was unable to avoid smiling the entire time.

After three songs our drinks were empty and we paused to refill our cups. Sweating and breathless, we walked out onto the balcony off of Tyler's kitchen where a few other people were smoking. I saw Jeremy outside for the first time and he nodded in my direction, raising his cup to me in the air as if he approved that I had a drink as well; or perhaps his toast was to show his approval that I was here with Stefan rather than the alternative.

I rested my elbows on the wooden railing and looked down into the Lockwood's massive backyard. Stefan stood beside me, barely touching his shoulder against mine. We were silent as we sipped on our drinks. After a few minutes I began to get cold.

"Let's go back in," I started to turn around, noting that this drink had obviously been consumed much quicker than the last and I nearly needed a refill already. Before I made a complete circle Stefan grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks. I blinked up at him, my vision suddenly a little hazy and dizziness taking over just slightly.

"Take me back, Elena. I don't care about this other guy. I can treat you better than he does. I can be better for you than he is, I know I can," his eyes and voice were demanding and if it weren't for the alcohol flowing through my veins I might have gotten defensive about his approach. Instead I could think of no rebuttal and I just continued to stare at him, barely realizing that I had begun to shiver. "I love you," he whispered.

Although I had heard Stefan say this a few times by now, this time it felt more honest and important than any other. A small voice inside my head told me to run away; but I was tired of running, tired of fighting, and tired of listening to it's befuddled logic. I sat my cup down on the railing and grabbed hold of both of his arms. I felt a sudden power consume me and I realized that for the first time in a very long time I had complete control. With all of my strength I pulled him towards me, moving my arms behind his head when he got close enough. I branded the image of his excited expression into my mind to quiet the voice for good before I touched my lips to his. At first the kiss started as a way for me to prove to myself that I could control my own actions, my own destiny. It was forceful and rough and I could feel Stefan struggling to meet my pace. As we continued the kiss deepened and slowed to one I recognized as familiar and safe.

I was so consumed in the moment that I nearly forgot we were not alone. Eventually I felt my lips begin to tire and I turned my senses back on just in time to hear my name being called.

"Elena," the voice belonged to Jeremy and I quickly felt a hand on my elbow. I pulled away from Stefan and whipped my head around to face my brother. He looked absolutely appalled and for a second I almost felt remorse for what I had just done. "What are you doing?" he whispered as if Stefan could not hear him.

I was not sure if Jeremy was referring to my sudden public display of affection around all of my classmates who had once respected my innocence, or if he might be referring to the secret relationship he knew that I had been participating in. Either way I was angry that someone had ruined my moment of prowess and I smiled smugly at him as I answered, "Whatever I want to do."

Jeremy stood there staring at me open-mouthed for a few more seconds, more shocked than I had ever seen him before. I took this opportunity to pick my drink back up and with my free hand I grabbed Stefan's hand and pulled him behind me into the kitchen. I refilled my cup and slammed the drink down again before even moving away from the bar. When I looked up at Stefan again his expression rivaled Jeremy's.

"Elena, are you okay?" He asked cautiously.

"Better than ever," I answered, noticing that my words were beginning to slur. All I could think about was getting the feeling back that I had just experienced and I looked around the room for an escape route. My eyes landed on Caroline, who was standing next to the DJ table in the living room. I pulled Stefan over to her and placed my hand on her back to get her attention.

She turned around and her eyes lit up with she saw me. She threw her arms around my neck then pulled away, looking again from me to Stefan. I smiled slyly at her and leaned close to whisper, "Can we borrow Tyler's room?"

She pulled back, eyes wide and jaw hanging. Her expression changed to a grin and she winked at me, "Sure. Have fun."

I looked back at Stefan who looked just as surprised as Caroline had. Honestly I did not quite know where this sudden desire had come from, but all that I could think about was that I no longer wanted to belong entirely to one person. I did not want Damon to be the only man who had ever seen me in my most intimate moments and I wanted desperately to be able to say that I had been with more men than just him alone - after all, he could certainly say the same. He had even been with other girls since our first time together and after tonight this was the best consolation that I could think of for my ailing heart. I pulled Stefan up the stairs, people and voices blurring in my head as we passed.

As we reached Tyler's room and I closed the door behind us Stefan took my hand, his face a mixture of confusion and elation. "Are you sure you want to do this? What about your boyfriend?"

Ah, Stefan's ever-present concern for my feelings. This time it was amusing to me rather than annoying and I continued to smile. "Who said he was my boyfriend?" I answered.

His face relaxed at my response and he kissed me with an unbridled passion that I had never experienced with him before. In an instant our clothes were on the floor and we had moved to the bed. I laid sideways across the king sized mattress and he kept his body pressed tightly to mine as his hand explored all of the foreign areas that he had always wanted to visit. His lips never left mine and I was thankful that I would not have to see his face; even now I feared that the image might haunt me tomorrow and all I wanted was to feel ecstasy before my intoxicated haze disappeared. He was as gentle as Damon had been the first time and I briefly wondered if he thought I still might be a virgin. This was not how I wanted things to be tonight and I pulled away from his lips to whisper, "It's okay..." hoping that he would understand what I meant.

He stared at me for a few seconds before resuming our kiss and now his body shifted into a stronger stance and his touches became just a little bit rougher. I was thankful that he took the hint and I pleaded with him using my hands to take full control of me. He obliged quickly and as he entered me for the first time my eyes flew open, the realization of what I was doing suddenly hitting me hard. I tried desperately to stop the voice inside my head again but it would not allow me to enjoy myself as I always had with Damon. Although Stefan had all of the right moves and he was reading the signs flawlessly, something was missing and I felt terrible as soon as it was over. Now I understood why Caroline had often cried after sleeping with a man she did not have feelings for. I rolled over so that he could not see my reaction but I could tell he sensed my mood shifting.

He dressed quickly and handed me my clothes from the floor. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly. I could tell that he felt terrible and I hated that; this had been my idea, I had practically forced myself on him and I was the only one who needed to feel that way, not him.

I took a deep breath and sat up, slipping my shirt over my head quickly. I felt more exposed than I ever had before and I was thankful when Stefan looked away as I finished dressing. "I'm fine, Stef. Really," I stood next to him and reached for his hand, giving it a tiny squeeze. "I'm just a little drunk. I think I need to get home."

He nodded but I could tell that he knew I was lying. I smoothed out Tyler's comforter where we had been laying and fixed my hair in the mirror before exiting the room. Downstairs I assured Caroline that I was fine before saying goodbye and I found Jeremy waiting by the front door. One look at my walk-of-shame-expression and I knew that he could tell instantly what had just happened. He waited as I walked over to him and he said with a disguised sincerity, "Come on, Lae. I'll drive home."

Stefan followed us outside and before we reached my car I turned to face him one last time. "I'm okay, I promise," I said before he could even ask again. He looked confused and filled with regret but I knew I did not want to get involved anymore tonight. "Are you going to be okay?" I asked.

"I'll be fine," he smiled and I nodded, appreciative that he respected me enough to omit the truth.

"See you later," I said awkwardly and walked to the passenger side of my car. I watched him out of the front window as we backed out of the driveway. He stood in the same spot until we began to pull away then he got into his car as well.

Luckily Jeremy did not say a word on the drive home. I checked my phone again, not surprised and a little relieved when I saw that I had no messages from Damon. I briefly wondered whether I should be concerned or just plain angry about his absence tonight but luckily by the time Jeremy pulled into the driveway all I could really concentrate on was staying awake long enough to get inside.

Jenna shook her head from the couch as Jeremy helped me up the stairs and I had never been happier to see my bed. I fell asleep quickly, my last thoughts drifting to Damon and how I would face the truth of what I had done in the morning.


	31. Chapter 31

****A/N** I appreciate the response to chapter 30, both positive and negative! Thanks to all of you who are still with me – a little dramatic twist never hurt anyone ;-) everything has a purpose, so I hope you all keep reading. The reviews keep me going so keep them coming, I love to see your feedback!**

Damon stood in the doorway of the house for several minutes staring into the living room, hallway, and kitchen. He wondered how long it might be until he saw these rooms again and he considered the option that maybe he never would. He bent down to pick up the strap of his last duffle bag from the ground and slung it over his shoulder. With one last glance he flicked the light off in the foyer and stepped out into the night. It was close to midnight now; he had spent the last several hours packing his things and cleaning up any remaining trace of his existence in his room. It took him nearly an hour to finish writing the short note to Stefan that he left on the kitchen counter. He knew that it would be best to avoid his calls for a while; he was not sure if he would be able to easily put aside the way he felt about what he had seen earlier and he did not want to say anything he would regret.

He was not entirely certain if it had been the pills or the fact that he had made peace with his decision, but ever since he left the school earlier in the night he had not felt angry and he had not felt confused. What he needed to do was clearer to him now than ever before and he was sure that this decision would be the best thing for all involved.

His car was loaded with bags and suitcases and he had already booked a hotel over the phone for the night. Tomorrow he would find an apartment in the city and resume the life he had been so used to living before Mystic Falls changed everything. He knew that Stefan would not understand and that he would be upset; but he was an adult now, graduating in less than two months and Damon felt that his little brother was ready to experience life without him. In his note he promised Stefan that he would understand if he wanted to leave town after graduation as well, but he encouraged his brother not to follow him. _It's time we both learn how to be on our own_, he had written.

As Damon backed out of the driveway he paused at the end to get one last look at his home. The first time he left so many years ago he had to be physically removed from a post on the front porch by a social worker. Now he was leaving on his own accord. Being here as an adult made him realize how crazy this town had made his parents and he had begun to feel like he was heading down the same path. He felt that his parents would approve of his decision to leave and knew that if they would have had the chance so many years ago they would have done the same. As the house disappeared behind him all he could think about was Elena and how his one regret might be that he did not say goodbye to her; but somehow he knew that he would see her again in some way shape or form and he kept driving. When he passed the place he had stopped to turn around a few days ago he convinced himself to keep his eyes ahead from this point on and he never looked back again.

...

Stefan finally exhaled the breath he had been holding for nearly the entire car ride home. He hated to drive drunk but the sobering experience that occurred before he left Tyler's house had made his mind more clear than it had been all night and he made it home easily. He noted that his brother's car was not in the driveway but this was nothing new for Damon; he spent many nights out without checking in and Stefan did not think much of it. He went inside and the house felt eerily silent, much quieter than normal. He turned the light on and panic set in for a brief moment. He could never be entirely at ease when he was at home alone after what had happened over the summer. He knew that Klaus had left town but this did not provide much solace to him as he knew that he could return at any moment.

Stefan entered the kitchen and turned that light on as well, starting for the fridge to get a bottle of water before heading upstairs to bed. He nearly missed the note on the counter but it caught his eye before he turned the light out. He began to get nervous - Damon had never left him a note before. He thought maybe this might explain the strange feeling he experienced upon entering the house and he rationalized that it must not be good news.

_Stefan,_

_Notes are a little dramatic for me but I was not sure how else to tell you this. _

_I'm moving out. There's something about this place that doesn't feel right and I miss the city. I think it's best if you don't come with me this time. I'm sorry I'm leaving this way but I'm afraid you'll talk me out of it if I let you. I'll call you in a few days when I'm settled. _

_Don't worry about me, I'm fine. You will be too._

_It's time we both learn how to be on our own._

_-Damon_

Stefan stared at the words in front of him and re-read them all several times. This was the last thing he had expected to come home to and quite frankly it was the last thing he needed to deal with tonight. He was not surprised; Damon was and always would be too selfish to consider how any of his actions would impact his younger brother.

"What if I'm not ready to be on my own?" Stefan whispered quietly. He crumbled up the note and tossed it into the trashcan on his way out of the kitchen, angry and upset about the way his night had turned out.

When he reached the top of the stairs he hesitated before turning left to get to his room. Instead he walked down the opposite hallway and opened Damon's door, half hoping that maybe Damon had just been overreacting. He turned on the bedroom light and the emptiness provided a harsh reality check that his brother really was as serious as Stefan feared. The only thing that remained was a stripped down bed and the dressers, some empty drawers still hanging open. All of Damon's picture frames and knickknacks that had been on top of the dresser and nightstands were gone. His bathroom was empty and the room echoed frighteningly as Stefan pushed the drawers closed. He shook his head in astonishment before turning the light out and pulling the door closed.

Once he was behind the door to his own room he shivered as a chill moved through his body. The house never appeared as large as it did when he was alone, and now knowing that his brother would not be coming home it felt more foreign to him than ever. He knew right away that he would not be able to stay in this house by himself and that if Damon did intend on staying in the city he would need to move out after graduation as well. With Klaus looming he did not feel safe here without his brother, especially considering what had already happened thus far. Feeling more depressed than he had in quite a while, he crawled into his bed and waited for sleep to find him.

...

I spent the entire day Thursday hung over and miserable. The rest of my Fall Break was not much improved, seeing as how I could not get in touch with Damon no matter how many times I tried and I still was not ready to return Stefan's calls or texts. The guilt of what I had done with Stefan was overwhelming and nearly too much to bear. I wanted so badly to tell Damon what I had done so that maybe he could start to forgive me, but part of me thought that he already knew. I could come up with no other explanation as to why he would suddenly feel the need to hide from me and the uncertainty was driving me nearly insane.

By Sunday I started to try convincing myself that this was all for the best, considering what I had done and the reason for doing it in the first place. These facts alone did not make the reality any easier on me and I decided finally that it was time to talk to Stefan. Maybe he had talked to Damon and he could tell me where he was, or perhaps he would mention if he had told his brother what had happened between us Wednesday night so that I would have some inkling of explanation.

After I had showered and dressed I sent Stefan a quick text: "Can I come over and talk?" Of course I was nervous that maybe Damon would be there when I arrived, but I decided that I was ready once and for all to confront all of my demons. I wanted the truth to be out in the open, whether Damon wanted it to be or not. At this point I did not care who knew about Damon and I or how anyone felt about it; I needed answers and I needed closure if this is really how he wanted things to end.

Stefan responded right away: "That's a great idea."

I got into my car and started towards the Salvatore estate. The entire ride I spent rehearsing my lines, more determined to end the charade than I had ever been before. By the time I arrived in the driveway I barely noticed that Damon's car was missing and I did not hesitate to walk up the front door.

Before I could knock Stefan opened the door, stepping aside to invite me inside. I did not smile, reminding myself over and over inside my head what I had come here to do.

"Why haven't you returned my calls?" Stefan jumped right in as I sat down on the couch.

I looked around absently for any sign of his brother. "I wasn't sure what to say," I answered truthfully, "But now I know. I need to tell you everything."

Stefan sat across from me in a wing-back chair and leaned forward, looking entirely disheveled. "Okay. I'm ready. Tell me," his expressed rivaled someone preparing for a shot at the doctor's office and I could not help but express my concern.

"Are you okay?" I asked, derailing my train of thought briefly.

"I don't know," he laughed awkwardly and shook his head side to side. "I obviously ruined the only chance I had at getting you to ever take me back. I don't know what I was thinking Wednesday night. Now Damon's gone too and he won't tell me where he is. So I guess to answer your question - no, I am not okay."

I could feel my jaw start to drop and I wanted so badly to demand that Stefan elaborate but I knew I had to do this the right way. "This would be easier if you lied to me," I sighed.

"What would? Just spit it out, Elena. What's going on?" He was not the same person I had known all these months; he was impatient and demanding and I knew that he had every right to be.

_No more hiding_, I told myself sternly. "I told you I was seeing someone," I began.

His body language suggested that I get on with my story and he spit out rudely, "What, was that a lie? You just can't fathom the thought of being with me anymore, can you?"

I wished so badly that the truth was as simple as Stefan's theory. "No. That was the truth," I looked down at my hands; I had been picking at my nails as I often did when I got nervous. I put my hands under my legs and took a deep breath. "I just left out some of the story," I watched as his chest began to rise and fall quicker than before and I could hear him breathing in the silence. "Stefan, I cheated on you. I cheated on you the night before we broke up and I feel terrible about it. But that's not the worst part. The person I've been seeing… it's," I paused, knowing that this was the point of no return.

"It's who, dammit! Just fucking say it," he stood up and I instinctively reared back slightly, shocked at this side of Stefan that I had provoked.

"It's Damon," I whispered. I hoped that the tone of my voice would suffice as a confession but that maybe he would not understand what I had said. Of course it did not turn out that way; even if I would not have said his name I believed in that moment that Stefan knew exactly what was about to come out of my mouth before it happened.

Before I could even look back up at his face I heard an unmistakable contact. I shot my head up in time to see a lamp fly across the small space between the table it had sat on and the wall, shattering to a million pieces before it slid to the ground. Terrified, I moved my eyes to meet Stefan's face and what I saw scared me more than the broken lamp. He was pacing back and forth, hands running up and down over his face and behind his head. He repeated this motion several times and all I could do was sit and stare.

"Fuck," He cursed loudly then laughed painfully, continuing to shake his head in disbelief.

"I should go," I stood up, suddenly scared that Stefan might strike out at me.

"Yes, I think you should," he lowered his hands and his eyes met mine. The glare that he shot me was enough to make me want to crawl into a hole to die; I had never felt so small and feeble.

I walked to the front door and hesitated before turning the knob. I slowly turned back around and looked at Stefan. He was standing in the middle of the living room staring ahead at the spot on the wall that the lamp had collided with. His gaze was hypnotized and his frustration was visible.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, knowing that in the terrible silence of the house my words would echo behind me for minutes after I left.

He did not move his body or his gaze and said calmly, "Please go."

I wanted nothing more than to get out of that house, but I stayed grounded in place for a few more seconds. I wanted so badly for him to understand why I had done everything that I did, but I knew that while my actions may have had a plausible explanation in my own head about getting even with Damon, there was no valid excuse imaginable that I would ever find for using Stefan to get there. Feeling utterly beaten down I finally exited the house.

As soon as the door clicked shut behind me tears began to flow uncontrollably down my face. I had not felt so out of control since the night my parents died, but this time I knew that I deserved every miserable second of it. Feeling the rush of exposure, I decided I wanted to dive off of the deep end. The way I felt now would be in vein shortly if I did not complete my truth mission entirely before the day was over.

I sat in my car for several minutes attempting to gain my composure. The tears continued to fall but the sobbing slowed and the muscles in my throat finally began to expand and contract at normal intervals. Before I even left the driveway I picked up my cell phone and called Damon for the forty-fifth time this weekend.

...

Damon had always been skilled at aversion. Throughout his entire life whenever he did not want to deal with reality he simply disappeared entirely and he never once felt guilty about it. He had been through more anguish than most people his age and he had always rationalized that he deserved whatever vices he could find. This time, however, hiding was excruciating. He had never run from his brother before and he had certainly never forced himself to ignore the one person he wanted to talk to more than anything. He felt more alone than he ever had and by Sunday even the pills and the liquor were not enough to make him forget everything that he had left behind.

It was around noon and he was sitting in an empty one-bedroom apartment, surrounded by empty bottles of scotch, pizza boxes, and Chinese take-out cartons. He had furniture in a storage unit in the city but somehow he did not feel quite ready to nest in his new home. He had paid the apartment's maintenance man to help him transport what had once been his favorite sofa to his living room so that he would not have to sleep on the floor but that was the only thing that accompanied him thus far. He had been unable to sleep more than a few hours on and off throughout the days and nights since he left Mystic Falls and although he thought the feeling would dissipate with time, his pain only continued to worsen.

He had sent Stefan a text message on Saturday to let him know he was alive, but he ignored the response asking where he was staying. He had successfully ignored Elena's calls and texts thus far but now he turned his phone around in his hand, contemplating whether or not he wanted to make contact with her. When her name flashed across the screen for the first time that day, he could not ignore the seemingly divine intervention to his thoughts. Just before his voice mail took over the call he pushed the button to answer.

He hesitated to bring the phone to his ear and was not sure what to say when he finally did. "Hello" did not seem appropriate. Luckily by the time he prepared himself to speak Elena's voice resounded first.

"Damon?" She sounded entirely surprised but he could also hear a strong presence of sorrow.

He felt an immediate twinge of emotion at the idea that Elena had been waiting on pins and needles for days to hear his voice, but he quickly reminded himself why he had left in the first place. "Hey," he finally said quietly.

"Where are you? Are you okay? What happened?" Her voice was impatient and nervous and the crying was unmistakable.

"I'm fine," he answered, omitting responses to the other two questions.

"I need to talk to you. Please come back, or let me come to you. I have to tell you something," she lowered her voice at this point and Damon cringed, hoping she was not intending to tell on herself. He was not sure he would be able to handle expressing his disappointment to her.

"Elena," he sighed, secretly thankful to hear her voice but wishing that what had happened had simply been a terrible nightmare, "I know what happened."

"What?" The shock was back and Damon's anger had begun to resurface again as he faced the truth for the first time. She continued, "Did Stefan tell you?"

Damon bit his bottom lip hard to deter from the emotional pain that had stirred inside his head. "No," he said sharply, "I was there, Elena. I saw you."

Elena was silent for several seconds. "You were there? You came to the dance?" She said finally.

"Why are you surprised? I may be a dick, but I've never given you any reason to doubt my feelings," he had wanted to hear an explanation so badly but he knew that nothing would make this any easier.

"God Damon, if I would have known… Why didn't you just call me? I only did…I thought you stood me up, I was angry and hurt."

"I know," he interrupted, uninterested in hearing any more of the story. "I told you I'm fucked up. I warned you this is who I am. I'm not Stefan, Elena. I can't be that man."

"I don't need you to be," she pleaded desperately, "I wasn't thinking clearly. It's the way I feel about you, Damon, it makes me do stupid things. I can't stop thinking about you and I'm not ready for this to be over."

Damon closed his eyes and let his neck roll backwards, resting the back of his head against the top of the couch. He had wanted to hear these words from her in so many different ways, but not like this.

"I told Stefan about us," she admitted very quietly.

Damon's eyes shot open and he sat up straight on the couch. "You… told Stefan…" he repeated cautiously, trying to reign in his anger.

"I had to, I was worried about you and I needed to find out why you weren't calling me. I didn't know if you had told him, or if you were even alive. God Damon, I can't think straight when it comes to you. I just keep fucking everything up," she was crying again.

As much as he wanted to agree with her and let her know how pissed off he was, all he could concentrate on was the relief he felt knowing that the truth was out and he had not had to be the one to see his brother's reaction when he found out. Elena had done what he was unable to do and part of him was appreciative; the other part was suddenly nervous about what this meant for his relationship with his brother; and the majority of him wanted to simply shut down again.

"Say something," she begged.

"Do you love him?" the question shot out of his mouth before he could stop it. He wanted to reel it back in instantly, honestly afraid of the answer she would give. Either way, her response would help him decide whether he needed to move on entirely or if there might still be something there to hold on to.

She barely hesitated, as if this were a question she had already been considering. "No, Damon. If this week has taught me anything it's that I feel nothing for him. I've never felt the way I feel about you for anyone else."

As the words came through the receiver Damon quickly realized that he had been hoping she would give the opposite response. He did not think it would be possible to feel even more confused than he already did and he had begun to regret ever answering the phone.

"I need to go," he said sternly.

"Please let me see you…" She sounded entirely hopeless.

"Bye Elena," he clicked the phone off before he had time to change his mind.

The silence in the small apartment was deafening now that he had finally had a conversation with someone other than himself. Remaining calm, he walked to the kitchen counter and grabbed his pill bottle. He swallowed two pills quickly and stared out into his new living space. Not much had changed now that he had spoken to Elena except the recognition that this might not ever get any easier. Without much perception of time, Damon unknowingly stood in the same spot lost in his thoughts for over an over. Before long he had come to the realization that while he could fight it forever and he may win the occasional battle, love would ultimately win the war. It was time to either suit up or surrender.


	32. Chapter 32

The Vortex had always been one of Damon's favorite bars to frequent ever since his 21st birthday. This evening the familiar environment was a welcome relief to the internal struggle he had been facing. It had been three weeks since he left Mystic Falls and although he had attempted on several different occasions to talk to his brother, his efforts had been ignored and he was beginning to fear that he had lost him forever. He knew that the holidays were approaching and this would be the first time that he and Stefan would not be spending them together since their years in foster care. He had never imagined that he would care much about being alone during the holiday season, but now the realization was just another reminder of how alone he had become.

Elena had not attempted to contact him again since their conversation and he was both appreciative and saddened. Part of him wondered if maybe she and Stefan had decided to bond over their hatred for him and he could not shake the thought that they might be together in his absence. As usual, the only thing that helped suppress his thoughts was his daily cocktail of booze and drugs. Unfortunately, his pill bottle had been empty for three days now and his tolerance to liquor was drastically increasing.

Tonight he sat at the bar as he typically did, ignoring suggestive smirks from attractive women and questioning glances from insecure men. He had been spending his evenings lately watching sports that he was truly uninterested in and indulging in the stories of close-by bar mates. Tonight there was nothing even remotely fascinating on the televisions above the bar and he was one of the only customers, so small talk was abysmal. He sat facing away from the bar watching restaurant goers from afar. He enjoyed speculating what hidden secrets people who appeared so average might have in their closets. As he began to wonder why the couple in a corner booth was arguing, he was distracted by a tall blonde walking through the front door.

"Fuck," he sighed heavily and rolled his eyes, turning back around to face the bar as quickly as he could. Unfortunately he had not moved quickly enough; he had been spotted.

"You have got to be kidding me," the blonde approached from his right side and he rolled his eyes to the side to look at her.

"Rebekah," he smirked at his uninvited guest and became less than thrilled when she took a seat.

"You're certainly the last asshole I expected to find here," she returned his smirk and her annoyance rivaled his perfectly.

"You mean this time you weren't sent here to seduce a confession out of me?" he quipped.

"No one _sends_ me anywhere, let's be clear about that. I do precisely what I want to do," she ordered a drink from the bartender and awkward silence took over.

Damon wondered how Rebekah could remain so calm knowing what she knew about Damon now; he also found it very difficult to believe that this truly was a random meeting and he began to fear that her brother might not be far behind. It had been weeks since he had heard anything from Klaus or his family and this was less than settling.

"Decided to leave town, uh? You're probably smart to heed my brother's warning. He really is a loose canon these days," she stated casually.

"I'm not scared of your brother. Neither of you know the whole story. I don't feel bad about what happened," he confessed, nervous to bring the topic up but anxious to have the chance to tell someone the truth.

"Sure we do. Trey was an idiot. He was lying to all of us for months, doing our dad's dirty work without telling anyone. I'm sure he deserved whatever you did to him," she sipped on her drink as if they were merely discussing politics or religion rather than the murder of a family member.

Damon decided not to elaborate any further and he changed the focus from himself to her, "Tell me, Rebekah. If you were only using me to get a confession about what happened, why in God's name did you still fuck me after you found out?" She pursed her lips instantly and shot an evil glare in Damon's direction. He smiled inside, relishing in the feeling of seeing her flustered. Before she could answer he added, "Don't get me wrong, I know how badly you must have wanted it. I just assumed it might be a factor for you, but if I remember correctly you didn't hold back."

"Don't flatter yourself," she spat, teeth clenched. "I couldn't very well leave after you confessed to a murder, dick. That would have been the least bit suspicious, wouldn't you think?"

Damon took a long swig of his drink and shrugged, unable to contain his smile. "Whatever you say, babe."

"God, I should have let Nik finish what he started with you and your stupid little girlfriend," she mumbled harshly.

Damon felt his face shift and his jaw tighten but he knew it would be best to avoid commenting. Rebekah noticed his mood changing, however, and she let out a small giggle. "Oh, don't tell me you two broke up already? It's your brother, isn't it? Classic love triangle. What a shifty little brat she is," she continued to laugh and Damon could not take it any longer.

"Watch yourself, bitch. You don't know anything about her. I'd say based on our encounters so far she's more of a woman than you'll ever be," his tone remained calm and he kept his composure, staring straight ahead and not bothering to give her the respect of eye contact any longer.

Her laughing slowed to an awkward chuckle and she moved her glass against his, clinking the drinks together. "I like you, Damon. You're a certified ass. We have more in common than you think we do," she threw in the white flag and Damon's internal temperate lowered to an acceptable level. After a few minutes of silence Rebekah finished her drink and pushed her chair away to stand up. "Now that I know you're here I can tell Klaus I've found you. He's been looking for you,"she placed her hand on his shoulder and he shrugged it off, looking at her face to determine if she was being serious or trying to scare him. "No reason to be nervous, _babe_. He has a new enemy; one you might be surprised to learn about. Mystic Falls really is a small town. The connection between our families there is eerie, honestly."

"What are you talking about?"Damon hated to show that she had captivated his interest but he needed to know more.

"Are you going to play nice?"She placed her fingers onto his wrist and tiptoed them up his arm, shooting him a seductive smile that he recognized from the night they met.

"I can't make any promises," he answered honestly, knowing full well that he had no intention to ever 'play nice' with her again; but curiosity had a hold on him now and he was not about to let her leave on that note.

She giggled and removed her hand from his arm. "You know the story about our fathers by now, don't you? Your dad being the hero and sparing my father's life and all," she sat back down in the chair but did not get comfortable, indicating that she did not intend to stay here much longer. Damon nodded, refreshing the memory of the story in his mind as she continued, "Have you ever wondered what happened to the man who ratted your father out to Mikaelson?"

Damon squared his shoulders and turned his entire body to face her; she now had his full attention. Though he had not spent too many hours thinking about what he had learned about the situation behind his father's murder, he had occasionally considered what happened to some of the key players. All he really cared about was that Mikaelson, the man who shot his dad, had been caught eventually and he was paying the price behind bars for the rest of his life. It had not occurred to him that the man who told Mikaelson that his father had not killed Trey and Rebekah's father was just as responsible for what ultimately happened and that he might still be roaming about unnoticed. It had certainly never crossed his mind that this man might be in Mystic Falls.

"Are you saying you know where he is?" Damon asked, trying to curb his enthusiasm.

Rebekah laughed again, "That's exactly what I'm saying, sweetie. We've known for years who he is and where he lives. He's really been irrelevant to me, but Nik has always had a sweet spot for him…" she drifted off in a dramatic pause. As Damon continued to stare at her she continued, "He's a pathetic little twerp. Always scared and running from something or someone. Klaus' dad sent him with your dad that night because he knew he'd be too scared to lie to him if things went wrong. He was right of course. He came back and told Mikaelson right away that your dad was too much of… that your dad let mine leave town," she decided against the word she had been planning to use about Damon's dad as she saw his face clench again, remembering how it had always made her feel to have someone refer to her own dad as a coward, "He begged Mikaelson to let him go back to his family and said he didn't want to work for him anymore. As a reward for his honesty Mikaelson agreed and let him leave. First person he ever released from his debt. And last too," she laughed and her eyes drifted to the floor, waiting to see if Damon had a response thus far.

"What are you getting at?" he demanded, more impatient than ever.

"After Mikaelson let him go he came home to Mystic Falls. That's where your dad met him originally, you know. They used to be pretty good friends. Your dad is the one who introduced him to Mikaelson in the first place. Anyway, fast forward a few years. Your dad is long gone because of him and so is your mom; you and your brother are the pathetic sob stories of the town. The guilt is just too much for the little punk to bear any longer. He puts on his red cloak and decides to save the town from the Big Bad Wolf," her dramatic dialogue was not amusing to Damon and he expressed his annoyance through his eyes. "God, you're no fun. The asshole called the cops and gave them a lead on Mikaelson. He told them where the warehouse was that he took up shop. Of course when they raided the place they found the car that he had been driving the night he killed your dad, along with enough evidence to support every other crime they'd known he committed all those years. So essentially, you and my brother Klaus have at least one thing in common. The same traitor snitched on both of your dads."

Damon raised his eyebrows, impressed and entertained by Rebekah's story. "Who is he?" he asked anxiously.

"Ah, that's as far as my story goes. You'll have to powwow with my brother if you want any more information. But if you're looking for a little excitement, Klaus has a brilliant plan to get revenge on the asshole. I'm sure he'd love another accomplice," she stood up again, shifting her purse to her shoulder.

"Wait," Damon stood up to stop her as she began to walk away. "Why now? If you've known about him for years, why is Klaus all of a sudden switching targets to this guy?"

Rebekah smiled knowingly, "He tried to kill my brother Kol a few weeks ago. So now Klaus has me on his team."

Stunned, Damon stood speechless as Rebekah walked out of the bar. Outside the door she looked back through the glass and blew a kiss to Damon, adding a wink before she vanished out of sight.

Damon stumbled backwards and resumed his spot at the bar. He shook his head as if that would erase all of the information he had just been overwhelmed with and held his hand up to get the bartender's attention. "I need another. Make it a double."

...

Rebekah waited anxiously as the phone continued to ring in her ear. She could hardly wait to tell her brother who she had just run into. She and Klaus had gone their separate ways after leaving Mystic Falls; she invited Kol to stay at her apartment so that she could tend to him in peace after he was released from the hospital. He was healing nicely and was basically back to normal after a couple of weeks. Although she had told Klaus that she was finished with his escapades after the Damon encounter, being with Kol and watching him suffer had sparked a new heated desire in her to get even with the man who had caused her family so much anguish. She had never been one for drama; that had always been Klaus' forte. But this time it hit closer to home than ever before, seeing as how Kol had always been the member of her family that she was closest with.

When she received Klaus' voice mail she hung up and immediately redialed. This time he answered after the third ring.

"What Rebekah?" he was audibly irritated.

"Well hello, brother. I've missed you too," she scoffed in response.

Klaus sighed, "I'm busy. We're leaving in the morning and I have a lot more to do before we go."

"Well, I've had a change of heart. I'm coming with you," she announced cheerily.

"Oh really? Why is that?" Klaus was skeptical but entertained her notion.

"I just ran into an old friend," she laughed, "If you're going there to look for Damon Salvatore you won't find him. Relationship is on the rocks and he's holed up here alone. I just saw him at Vortex."

Klaus was quiet, contemplating. "Hmm, is that so? Well let me guess. You couldn't keep your mouth shut?"

She laughed again, "I've never been fond of secrets, Nik. But you're in luck – he's definitely interested. I didn't tell him everything, but I think he'll be willing to talk with you."

"Good," Rebekah could hear a smile in her brother's voice now. "Thanks, little sister. See you in Mystic Falls."

Feeling utterly pleased with herself, Rebekah clicked her phone off and resumed smiling the entire drive home.

...

Stefan had developed a routine to help pass the time before graduation. For weeks now his life consisted of going to school, coming home to work on homework or study, and if he had time at night and on the weekends he had begun to work on his resume and search for jobs. Graduation was just around the corner and although he had enough money in a trust fund to get him through his entire adult life, he could feel the imminent boredom quickly approaching.

This particular day was a little different than days past; school was out once again for Thanksgiving Break and Stefan knew that there was not enough homework or resume tweaking in the world to occupy his time for four days. He had never spent a Thanksgiving holiday without at least talking to his brother and he felt that this weekend would be the hardest to get through yet.

As the days had passed since his conversation with Elena, he had come to feel slightly remorseful for the grudge he was now holding against his brother. Damon had tried to contact him several times but Stefan ignored each call and text. At this point his aversion to his brother was not because he felt he could never forgive him what what he had done; it was simply too difficult for him to imagine having the inevitable conversation that he knew would be necessary for both of them to make peace with the situation.

He had seen Elena at school daily, but she had not attempted to talk to him again and he was grateful for that. It was harder for him to be mad at Elena than it was at his brother for some reason, but he forced himself to avoid her at all costs. Of course he could not ignore how much she had changed over the past few weeks; she stopped hanging out with her friends before and after school, at lunch she sat with Jeremy to the dismay of Caroline and the cheerleading squad, and her appearance changed from a happy, social butterfly to a lost girl who preferred to be alone and out of the spotlight. One afternoon Stefan had run into Jeremy outside and he could not stop himself from asking her brother how she was doing. Jeremy's response was guarded but Stefan could tell by his expression that she obviously was not doing as "fine" as he assured him that she was.

As Stefan made his way home from school on this Wednesday afternoon he started to plan out how he would spend his long weekend. He had decided he would start looking online for apartments to move in to closer to the city once the semester was over, and he also decided that a movie marathon would be in store to get him through until Monday. He began to consider which movies to add to his list as he pulled around the corner to the estate. His foot hit the brake as he rounded the cul-de-sac and he instinctively cursed aloud to himself as he noticed the car in his driveway.

For a moment he hesitated, trying to determine if he wanted to put the car in reverse and drive away. After a few seconds of reasoning with himself he finally decided to face his fears and he slowly pulled his car into its spot. He closed his eyes and counted to ten (as he had often done when he knew he was about to enter a stressful situation) before getting out of the car. On the way up the sidewalk to the front door he began to run through all of the many directions this altercation might go.

He walked inside cautiously, very aware of his facial expression. He did not want to appear overly concerned; no, he would not give his visitor that satisfaction. Instead he kept a collected composure and he entered the living room, knowing that this is where he would find his brother waiting for him.

Damon was already standing, his expression less composed than Stefan's. He looked at his brother in a way that Stefan recognized from their childhood; it reminded him of the times when Damon would begin to feel guilty about pushing Stefan into the dirt or forcing him to eat anchovies on his pizza. He would never apologize, but he would suddenly become much softer towards him and Stefan had always known it was these moments when he could get whatever he wanted from his big brother.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, breaking the ice before Damon could come up with some awkward comment to ease the tension.

"I live here, Stef," Damon smiled sideways and Stefan could tell how nervous his brother was.

"I seem to remember you moving out," Stefan cut back coldly. He walked past Damon without looking at him and went into the kitchen, indicating that he had no intention of participating in a joyous reunion celebration.

"Eh, that's just a technicality," Damon followed him, just as Stefan had expected.

"Pretty significant fact to me," Stefan opened the fridge, pretending to rifle through for something to eat. In reality he was far too nervous for food but he wanted to keep with the facade of indifference as long as he possibly could. Maybe Damon would get the hint and leave.

"Can we please talk?" Damon's voice was lower now and the awkward humorous tone had disappeared.

Stefan sighed as he closed the refrigerator door. He looked at his brother and unfortunately felt a reminder of the remorseful way in which he had begun to feel about the entire situation. Damon looked so helpless and Stefan had never been able to keep the upper hand long. Truthfully he knew that the past few weeks couldn't have been a cake walk for Damon either after what had happened the night of the dance, and he had a sneaking suspicion that Damon knew about Elena's unfaithfulness. He was certain that the torment his brother was most likely exposing himself to was revenge enough for his betrayal, but knowing that did not make this any easier.

Without responding Stefan walked to the kitchen table and pulled out a chair. He sat down and folded his arms across his chest, looking up at his brother to let him know he could begin speaking.

Damon sat down on the opposite end of the table, obviously agreeing that things were too strange to sit any closer. "I want to talk about everything that happened. But that's not why I came here. I ran into Rebekah and found out some... interesting news," he began. Stefan looked up, shocked by the unexpected turn of events. Klaus and his family had been the last thing on Stefan's mind lately and he certainly did not expect that his brother had been hanging out with any of them while he had been gone. "It's about what happened to Kol before they left. They found out who tried to kill him in the park that day," Damon continued. "It was the same guy who turned Klaus' dad in a few years ago. Klaus has known about him for a while now but for whatever reason he decided not to bother with him. Now that he's messed with Kol their whole family wants in on it. And they want our help," Damon's stare was convincing as he filled his brother in but Stefan remained dubious.

"Why the hell would we help them?" He asked angrily, a little offended at the suggestion.

"Because he's the same guy who told Mikaelson about our dad letting Trey's father go. He's the reason our dad is dead," Damon spoke very matter-of-factly and his tone was ominous now.

Stefan's eyebrows shot upwards instinctively and his lips parted in a surprised expression. "Jesus," he gasped. "He's been here in Mystic Falls? All this time? Who the hell is he?"

Damon shrugged, his expression softening. "She wouldn't tell me. Said I'd have to talk to Klaus about the rest."

"Well you're not going to, are you?" Stefan acted as if the answer to his question was obvious but he knew his brother well enough to realize that he would probably not receive the response he wanted. When Damon did not reply he continued, "Let it go, Damon. Klaus can get his revenge or whatever the hell he wants to do, but you need to stay out of this. What's done is done and you can't change it," this statement resonated in both of their ears for all of the many implications it had on both their father's death and the situation at hand with Elena.

Damon was silent for a few more seconds. Finally he said, "I haven't decided what I want to do. But I'm going to hear him out if he tries to contact me. There's nothing wrong with that," Damon spoke softly again as if that might help his argument. Secretly he was the tiniest bit surprised that Stefan cared so much for his well-being after all this. Before the current topic could escalate into a different disagreement Damon decided to tackle the elephant in the room. "I'm sorry about Elena, Stefan. I never planned on things happening the way they did..."

Stefan looked away quickly, bracing himself for the confrontation. "I appreciate your apology. But it doesn't change what happened and I'm not sure if I'm ready to forgive you. Maybe I never will be," he answered honestly. He had planned out this conversation in his head several times; at first the entire thing consisted of Stefan yelling at Damon, making him feel entirely insignificant and not listening to a word he had to say in response. As the weeks progressed, however, he decided that he was interested in hearing how his brother might defend himself; maybe there was some fantastic explanation. Although he doubted it seriously, he still hoped for it now.

"I don't blame you," Damon scoffed, taking a strike at his own ego. "I just hope that one day we can get past all of this and be normal again. We're all each other us, whether we like it or not."

Stefan looked up at his brother across the table, considering his request. He wanted this more than anything as well but until he could look at Damon without imagining him with Elena he knew things would not be the same. Another burning question had haunted him for days now as he had finally started to consider his brother's feelings. He knew that this must be serious if Damon cared enough to leave town to avoid Elena; he had never known him to do something so drastic over a girl before. "Do you love her?" he asked, his breath catching in his throat as the question left his lips.

Damon blinked at his brother, shocked by the question. He looked down at his hands on the table for several seconds and then back at Stefan's nervous face. "Yes," he said, feeling his heart race as he finally admitted out loud what he had come to convince himself.

The word was icy and as it echoed in Stefan's head his thoughts became submerged with emotion. While the sudden ache in his heart hurt worse even than Elena's confession weeks ago, he suddenly felt more sympathetic towards his brother than he had ever imagined possible. He could tell by the look in Damon's eyes that he was telling the truth and the pain he saw there validated his assumption that his brother had been suffering, just as he had, for weeks alone.

"Then I guess I owe you an apology too," Stefan looked down as he spoke, unable to bear the sight of his older brother hurting any longer.

"For kissing her at the dance?" Damon responded much quicker than Stefan had anticipated, and he certainly had not expected that response. He looked at Damon inquisitively as he continued, "I was there, Stef. She wanted me to come with her that night so that we wouldn't have to keep everything a secret anymore. I was supposed to tell you that morning. I tried but... I just couldn't do it. I wasn't going to go but I changed my mind. Apparently too little too late," Damon laughed awkwardly; Stefan did not respond. "I fucked up. I deserved what happened. I wasn't there for her and you were," he continued, reflecting on what he had decided.

Stefan still had no reply. If this were true then he was right, he did deserve the kiss. However he realized now that Damon did not know what had happened later that night and he felt like the villain for the first time. Whatever Damon had done that day did not warrant what happened that night and now he wondered if his brother would ever be able to forgive him in return. After a few moments of blistering silence Stefan said finally, "Did she not tell you what else happened?"

Stefan could see Damon's breathing become more rapid instantly. His facial expression changed from reflective to nervous and then quickly to defensive. "What does that mean? Something else happened?" he was trying to remain calm, Stefan could tell; but Damon had never been one for hiding his anger and soon it would begin to boil over.

"At Tyler's party after the dance... We were drinking, and she was acting different. I should have realized what was going on with her. I shouldn't have taken advantage..." he started to mumble partly to himself but Damon interrupted before he could go any further.

"No," he pushed his chair away from the table, preparing to stand up. "You didn't..."

Stefan pleaded with his eyes for his brother to understand. He felt a strange mix of emotions, ranging from regret and guilt to betrayal and anger. Mostly he was just entirely confused and conflicted and he had no idea what to say or do next. "I'm sorry, Damon. I didn't know it was you."

"But even if you would have, that wouldn't have stopped you would it?" Damon was standing now, hands gripped tightly into fists.

Stefan looked at his brother's hands and for a second wondered if Damon might be about to punch him. He stood up, contemplating the question. "I don't know. This is all so fucked up."

Damon blinked rapidly again and nodded his head. He ran his tongue across his teeth behind his lips, thinking deeply about what move to make next. "You know what, fuck it. I shouldn't have come back," he walked into the living room and grabbed his jacket from a chair.

Stefan followed him cautiously, noting mentally how the tables had turned in such a short amount of time. "You can't just leave again, Damon. I'm still here. Like you said, whether we like it or not..."

Damon paused after he grabbed his keys off of the end table where a lamp had once sat. He took a deep breath and released it slowly. "I need time to digest. I don't know what I'm going to do," he had managed to calm himself down, realizing that his brother was right - this was an entirely fucked up situation and he had no right to be mad at Stefan for doing the same thing he had once done to him. The one thing in Stefan's favor was that he did not know what he was doing when he hooked up with Elena; Damon had known and done it anyway. Somehow this was not enough to put his mind at ease because although he may be able to overlook his brother's indiscretion, there was another party involved who he had deep feelings for and these emotions would not be easily squalled. One way or the other this had to be dealt with and he needed to figure out how to move forward.

Stefan stared at Damon, thankful that he appeared to be understanding despite the inner turmoil that they both were experiencing. As Damon reached the front door Stefan decided to take the high road, unsure of whether he might regret it later or not. "Damon," he called. Damon turned around, the door cracked slightly open and his hand still resting on the knob. "She's not the same person since you left. If you're the guy she wants to be with..." he trailed off, not quite ready to release his permission. "You should talk to her."

Despite the anger still bubbling inside of him, Damon could not help but smile inside at his brother's gesture. This small sentiment let him know that there was still hope for his relationship with Stefan and that maybe he had not lost him forever. It may be a while until things were normal again, and perhaps the exact length of time would be determined by what the future held with Elena but at least his brother had come to realize that his betrayal was not intentional and other forces had been at work. In that moment he was reminded how proud of he was of his little brother and he confirmed that he might never be the man that Stefan was. Taking his words to heart Damon exited the house, considering for the first time that perhaps he might take a page from his younger brother's book about learning to let go.


	33. Chapter 33

Things with Caroline and Tyler had been slowly going downhill since Fall Break. While she tried to ignore her friends remarks about Tyler's wandering eye, it was impossible for her to deny the evidence in front of her at his party. She confronted him about it that weekend but he denied any intention of infidelity, assuring her that she was exaggerating and that she was all he wanted. She reluctantly agreed to move past the issue but the whole situation had made her much more observant and she finally began to see what everyone had been talking about from the beginning - Tyler was a player, and she found it hard to believe that she had any capability to change that about him.

Tonight Tyler was taking her on a date to make up for the terrible argument that they had gotten into on Thanksgiving two days ago. She spent the entire day with his extended family for lunch; he had promised her that he would spend the evening with her family for dinner, but when the time came for her to leave his house he informed her he would not be accompanying her. His excuse was that he had not seen his cousins in months and he would feel terrible leaving them, but she knew that his older cousins only intended to take him out barhopping and she was livid the rest of the night. By Saturday morning she had received a flower arrangement and an apology teddy-bear at her front door and she reluctantly agreed to let him take her to dinner and a movie to reconcile before school started back on Monday.

Dinner was slightly awkward but by the time they arrived at the movie theater things were starting to feel normal again. Unfortunately this did not last long as they quickly got into a disagreement about movie choice, and Tyler's action film won out over Caroline's romantic comedy in the end. She pouted throughout the previews, desperate for his attention; when she realized that his phone was occupying all of his time, however, she informed him angrily that she was going to go visit the refreshment counter and she stormed out of the theater.

Once in the hallway she found an unoccupied bench and took her phone out to call Elena to vent. Elena had been distant lately, assuring Caroline that she was merely dealing with the regret of what had happened with Stefan at Tyler's party. She also insisted that the holiday season without her parents had gotten her down, and Caroline knew at least this much was true. Elena promised that she would grow out of her slump eventually and insisted that she just be left alone for a while to focus on family. Caroline nearly fell out of her bed earlier in the day when she received a text from Elena asking to have a girl's night and she hoped that this meant she would finally be getting her best friend back.

When Elena did not answer her call Caroline huffed and slammed her phone down into her lap. She began scrolling through her contacts to determine who else she could call but was interrupted by a visitor joining her on the bench. She could not believe the audacity of someone to invade her privacy when there were so many other empty benches in the lobby and she rolled her head to the side, ready to give the man a piece of her mind. What she had not anticipated, however, was how incredibly attractive the stranger might be. He was older, possibly late twenties or early thirties. He had sandy blonde hair that sat in tight curls on top of his head and piercing eyes; Caroline was sure that she could read the bad boy trademark right away. He was already looking at her with a charming smile whipped across his face and she instantly forgot how put off she had been.

"I hope it's okay that I sit here," the man said, obviously noticing the expression on her face.

Realizing that she was still staring dumbfounded at the man Caroline closed her open mouth and fixed her face into a more inviting smile. "No, you're fine," as he continued to stare at her she blushed and turned her attention back to the phone in her lap, embarrassed.

"I noticed you sitting here alone and I couldn't help but wonder - what's a beautiful girl like you doing out here all by yourself?" The man was very straightforward and obviously ballsy and Caroline could not help but gape up at him again, shocked and flattered. "Your boyfriend must be worried."

She shook her head and looked down again. "I doubt that," she scoffed, her eyes widening to express her current dissatisfaction. "But thank you for the compliment, you're very sweet."

"My pleasure," his voice was seductive in a strange way and Caroline instantly felt butterflies take over her stomach. "I hope you don't think that I'm a creep, but I saw you and your boyfriend outside in the parking lot. He has an incredible car. Then of course he has you too; I feel a little silly, but I found myself very jealous. Now here you are alone. That's the problem with boys; they never appreciate what they have."

Caroline's first reaction to this statement was _Yes, that is a little creepy; _but as she looked up into his blue-gray eyes she found herself captivated and got lost easily in his smile. Realizing she had begun to stare, she snapped back to reality. "Oh, that's not his car. It's his dad's. But thanks again. I don't really know what to say," she giggled and tucked her hair behind her ear, shooting him the most flirtatious smile she could manage.

"Ah, you don't have to thank me. I'm just simply observing. I'll let you get back to your phone call. But if you ever get tired of dating little boys," he had stood up to remove his own movie ticket from his pocket along with a pen and he scribbled down his number and a name, passing it to her smoothly. "What did you say your name was, sweetheart?"

Caroline's cheeks were as pink as the top she wore and she bit her lip to stop from smiling like an immature girl would. "Caroline," she choked out, barely recognizing her own voice.

He had reached for her hand in what she had assumed would be a handshake. "Caroline. I'm Nik," as her hand found his he gripped the ends of her fingers and pulled it upwards, bringing his lips down to meet the back of her hand. "It was a pleasure meeting you," he added as he released her fingers.

Her hand continued to hover in the air for a few seconds as she reflected on what had just happened. The man had walked away towards the lobby, leaving her absolutely baffled. After a few seconds her phone began to vibrate in her lap, causing her to jump. "Elena, oh my God! You are never going to believe what just happened!" she squealed.

...

"How do you always manage to attract strange men, Care? I swear you must give off some kind of scent," I laughed for the first time in weeks, rejoicing in the familiar drama that had once consumed my life. For so long I had been in a different reality, feeling much like a zombie or a ghost. I did whatever I could to attract as little attention as possible and after a few terrible blind dates that Caroline had set up for me had ended in tears behind bathroom stalls, I decided it would be best to avoid my friends altogether until I could snap out of my funk. "What about Tyler?" I added, always the voice of reason.

"Ugh," Caroline sighed, "Tyler who?"

"Caroline!" I laughed again, not entirely surprised by my friend's dramatic change of heart.

"I'm kidding. I don't know, Lae. Things haven't been great with Tyler lately. It kind of feels like perfect timing, you know?" Caroline reasoned.

I shook my head as if Caroline could see my reaction. I was laying on my bed staring at the ceiling, reflecting on my decision to turn over a new leaf. On Thanksgiving morning I had woken up with a new outlook on life, convincing myself that I truly did have a lot to be thankful for (whether I deserved it lately or not) and that my parents would not approve of me wasting my senior year in self contempt. I had felt terrible ever since my last conversation with Stefan and Damon, and most of all I hated that I had not been able to tell Damon what else had happened with Stefan. Seeing Stefan daily was a constant reminder of my betrayal to both brothers and it was nearly impossible to move on while he was around. I had been able to convince Caroline and Jenna that my sudden change in emotional state was due to the regret I felt about sleeping with a man I did not love; in all honesty my pain was derived from regret for ruining things with the man I did love, but the only person who knew this side of the story was Jeremy. I had bonded with him over this secret and also the looming depression of the holiday season approaching but recently he had finally succeeded in convincing me that it was time to move on. I vowed that by the time school started Monday morning I would be back to my old cheerful self and that having a night out with the girls might be the best way to kick start that feeling.

I was currently waiting on Tyler and Caroline's date to conclude to find out what our plans for the night would be, and from the sound of it the date appeared to be over at this point whether Tyler knew it or not. As I continued to listen to Caroline babble on about how gorgeous her new mystery man's eyes and smile were, something hit me and I sat up on the bed. "Wait, Care. What did you say his name was?"

"Nik," she answered inquisitively. "Why?"

"I don't know, that name just sounds really familiar," I shook the thought out of my head and stood up to walk over to my vanity mirror. "What time do I need to be at your house?" I asked, ready to get off of the phone to start getting dressed.

"Well it's 7:30 now... How about 10? We'll go to The Grille and see if we can find a guy to buy us drinks," she whispered with the hint of a smile in her voice.

I smiled in return at her suggestion. "Try to be nice when you break the news to Tyler," I teased.

"Nice is my middle name, Elena," she laughed and we said our goodbyes.

I spent the next couple of hours getting ready for my night out. I was amused by Jenna's elated reaction to my news that I would be spending the night out with Caroline and noted once again how nice it was to have an authority figure so trusting. I met Caroline at her house around 10:00, as planned, and we rode together to The Grille. No more than five minutes passed the entire night without Caroline returning to her daydream about the stranger from the movies. Throughout the night she easily managed to get an older college guy to buy her a couple of beers, which she drank sneakily behind his back beside the pool tables. Two beers in, she had worked up enough confidence to send her new friend a text message. He replied instantly and told her he wanted to see her again; he asked if he could take her on a date this week and she nearly melted before my eyes. I found myself lost in her fantasy all night and I was more than appreciative for this new development to take my mind of everything that I had been thinking about for the past several weeks.

Eventually we got tired of pool and we returned to Caroline's house with a few of our friends to watch movies and talk boys. By the end of the night I could not believe that I had waited so long to allow my friends to help me move on and I promised myself that from this point forward, Caroline would be involved in every minute detail of my life.

Before I knew it Monday morning was here and I found myself preparing for school once again. I was entirely grateful that this small break had been infinitely better than my last and this Monday morning I actually welcomed the inevitable monotony of books, tests, and homework. When I got to first period and saw Stefan a familiar twinge of remorse started to creep back up but it vanished when I realized that apparently his break had been as enlightening as mine; we actually exchanged friendly smiles for the first time since Tyler's party and I thought perhaps there might be hope for a friendship to continue after all. I vaguely wondered how he had spent his Thanksgiving (mainly curious as to whether it had been brother-less or not) but I stopped my thoughts from going too deep.

After school Jeremy informed me that he would be getting a ride from his friends and I felt a surge of excitement for my brother; he had not been out with his friends since he had been babysitting me for the past few weeks and I was thrilled that he was finally able to resume his normal routine as well. On the ride home alone I blared my music loud and sang along at the top of my lungs, drowning out any unwelcome thoughts of my recent experiences and feeling freer than I had in a long time. By the time that I turned onto my street in the neighborhood I was nearly hoarse from my impromptu karaoke session. As fast as the rush of elation had entered my body, the guilt of shallow happiness took over just as quickly and I began to feel silly and immature. Looking back I wondered if my sudden change in emotional state was my brains way of preparing me for what was about to happen; eerily at that moment as I neared my house a familiar car came into view. I had to blink several times to convince myself it was not a mirage. I turned my radio down instinctively and slowed my car. At first I contemplated driving past my house but my heart would not reciprocate the instructions my brain was sending out and instead I pushed the pedal to the floor, speeding up to reach my driveway faster.

My car was not even entirely in the driveway before I threw it into park and opened the door. I stepped out into the grass and stood completely still, heart racing as I looked at my visitor standing beside his car. I could not believe what terrible timing this was after all I had gone through to forget what had happened, but now my feelings rushed back tenfold and I was not sure whether I wanted to cry from happiness or sadness.

"Damon... What are you doing here?" I approached him slowly and he met me at the end of the driveway. Over the past few weeks I had worked hard to forget the sideways smile that he wore now. I saw a gleam in his eye that I recognized as guarded emotion and it made my knees weak all over again.

"I thought it was time that we talk," he said finally, keeping his hands inside his pockets and stopping several feet from where I stood.

"I thought you were gone," I was confused and shocked and I did not know where else to begin. He was the last person I ever expected to see at my house and I realized that I had begun to pinch myself to make sure I was not having a dream; or worse, a nightmare.

"I was," he sighed, nodding his head. "I got an apartment in the city. I came back to see Stefan a few days ago."

"Oh," I replied, suddenly unable to make eye contact. I began to sweat despite the freezing air as I realized that I had to tell Damon now what I had been hiding for weeks. "I'm glad you're here. I need to tell you something," I began, head still down. I moved my eyes up to see his reaction and I was surprised that it remained soft, almost as if he felt sorry for me.

"No. You don't," he interrupted. "Stefan told me everything."

_Of course_, I thought, feeling stupid for not realizing that Stefan would never be able to keep such a terrible secret from his brother. "So is that why you're here? Because if it's an consolation, I've punished myself enough for both of us."

Damon's face was contemplative, as if he were trying to decide whether he believed me or not. "To be completely honest, I'm not real sure why I'm here," my heart sunk even further at his words and I wanted to run inside and hide; but I knew that this was what I deserved, to face my punishment - whatever it may be.

"Can I try to explain?" I asked nervously, pleading with my eyes. I wanted to step closer to him but his protective stance prevented me from moving an inch.

"I know everything you're going to say," he sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "But what the hell, go ahead."

I took a deep breath in through my nose; his cologne filled my nostrils instantly and a chill ran through my body. This might be the only chance I had at salvation, if that's what either of us even desired. "I know nothing excuses what I did. But I didn't do it to hurt you, Damon," I hoped that my sincerity showed through my expression. I still had his attention but his reaction was abysmal thus far. "When we talked earlier that day I thought you were breaking up with me. You hung up the phone without answering my question and then when you didn't show up," his mouth opened in an interjection but I stopped him, "I mean, when I thought you didn't show up... I assumed you were gone. I thought we were done and I was hurt, Damon. Stefan was there and he reminded me how it felt to be wanted. He was happy to be seen with me and I felt like I was finally in control of something for once in my life. I just wanted to prove to myself that I could still feel even without you," a few tears had begun to slide down my cheeks at this point. When Damon noticed I saw him shift uncomfortably, fighting the urge to comfort me. "I was wrong. I didn't feel anything but regret."

I half expected him to say 'Good' or something equally vindictive. Instead he did not say a word, just continued to stare at me with that apathetic look in his eyes that worried me beyond belief. "I know that I have to take some of the blame," he said finally, "I could have done things differently. I _should_ have done things differently... Then maybe..." he ran his hand through his hair, his internal conflict obvious.

"We had no way of knowing how things were going to turn out. We both would have made different decisions," I said quietly, hoping to ease his pain.

"I came here to say goodbye," he said suddenly, his eyes looking more lost than I had seen them before. "We both know that's not what I want, Elena. But how am I supposed to get past all this?"

"I wish I had all the answers," I felt as if I were talking to myself out loud, knowing that what I said would have no impact either way on his decisions. At this point our fate rested in his hands; I had done all I could to rectify my mistake and the rest was up to him.

"I'm going back to the city tonight," he was whispering now and his gaze had diverted to the ground.

I could feel my mouth drop open and my brain was unable to formulate a response. Inside my head a familiar voice screamed, _No, you can't go. I can't get over you again._ but I had learned to silence this voice since the night it ruined my life, and I was not able to express my feelings out loud.

Realizing that he had upset me with his statement he looked into my eyes again and continued, "I think it's best. For right now."

My brain immediately hung on to the last words he said, hoping that maybe this meant there would be a future that held a different plan. "I understand," I said, holding in the waterfall of tears that had welled behind my eyelids. If he intended to leave I needed him to do it now; I was not sure I could stop myself from attaching to him and begging him to stay if he waited much longer. Even in his loneliest hour he looked more attractive than I had ever seen him before, and I knew this was my mind's way of reminding me what I once had and how I had taken it for granted.

He started to back away, nervously fumbling for the right words to say. "I, uh... I'll see you around," he said finally, making eye contact one last time before turning his back to me.

"Will you call me?" I blurted out, feeling stupid instantly.

He stopped walking for a brief second and responded, "I don't know," before continuing his slow pace to his car.

I watched him get into the car and drive away, feeling like the sky might come crashing down around me at any moment. On cue, I started to feel cold droplets on my arms and I looked up to see that the clouds had darkened. Rain began to sprinkle around me and although I was very cold I could not move. I stood in my driveway and welcomed the rain as it drenched my clothes and washed away the tears that spilled down my cheeks, understanding what the weather patten symbolized for my life and my future with the man I loved.


	34. Chapter 34

The sound of the rain hitting glass and the squeak of the windshield wipers kept Damon's mind at ease as he drove away from Elena's house. There had always been something so comforting to him about being inside a dry space while the world around him was drenched with rain. He remembered falling asleep in the back seat of his parent's car so many times during rainstorms and these memories held a special place in his heart no matter how old he got. He kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead, considering whether or not he wanted to say goodbye to his brother before heading back out of town. He had stayed at the house over the weekend, deciding after their heart-to-heart on Wednesday that he could not go back to the city with so many loose ends that needed tying. Stefan did not object when Damon stumbled through the front door at 3:00 AM on Thanksgiving morning and crashed on the couch downstairs. In fact, he even woke Damon up with a cup of his family's special blend coffee sometime in the afternoon that day. The brothers did not say much to one another that day, but they bonded over a frozen pizza and football and by the time the holiday ended they both knew that one day things would be back to normal.

This time Damon chose to leave well enough alone and he passed the turn to the Salvatore estate headed for the bridge out of town. Just as he passed the sign that read "Thanks for visiting Mystic Falls. We'll see you again soon!" his phone began to ring, stirring him from a daze. He leaned to the side to retrieve the phone from his pocket and checked the ID. The caller was dialing from a restricted number but Damon knew instantly who it would be.

"Hello?" He answered, slightly cautious but mostly intrigued.

"Well hello old friend," the voice was one Damon recognized immediately; he had been right in his assumption.

"Klaus," he smiled knowingly, interested to hear how this conversation would go. He had been waiting for his call ever since he ran into Rebekah and he had a lot of questions.

"You are a difficult man to get a hold of," Klaus continued, "I had to go to three different bars before I found a girl who had your number."

Damon's mind briefly wandered to the few girls he had romanced since being in Mystic Falls, wondering who might have been the one to give a random man his phone number. He shook the thought from his head and responded relatively smartly, "You could have asked your sister."

Damon could have sworn he heard Klaus' mood shift in the silence that followed before Klaus finally replied, "She likes to forget about the men she uses for personal gain. Anyway, I didn't call you to talk about your female accomplishments. I believe you've been expecting my call after your last conversation with Rebekah."

"I don't waste too much time thinking about you or anyone you associate yourself with, actually. But now that you mention it, Rebekah did have some interesting news last time we spoke," Damon had to get one last dig in before getting to the topic at hand. He waited for Klaus to continue.

"I'd like to meet to discuss things with you. I'm sure you have some questions for me about recent developments. It appears you and the people 'I associate myself with' have a common enemy now, so I guess that would make you one of us, wouldn't it?" The power shifted briefly back to Klaus' hands.

Damon could not help but chuckle at this rationale. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'll meet with you. But under one condition," he waited for a response but Klaus was silent. He continued, "No matter what I decide after talking with you, whether I want to help you with this asshole or not... My family and friends are to be kept out of it, understand?"

This time Klaus laughed; Damon's jaw tightened, as did his grip on the steering wheel. "Why not be a little more specific, Damon? We are referring to Stefan and Elena, correct?"

"They are not to be involved in any of your plans, present or future. On top of that, they're not going to find out that I'm even agreeing to meet with you about this. Are we clear?" Damon's voice was as threatening as he could manage, although he knew he did not have much leverage at all against Klaus. He hoped that Klaus wanted his help so badly that it would provide enough bargaining power to at least do some good.

"Crystal," a smile was present in Klaus' voice and this made Damon nervous, but he had no authority to second guess at this point. All he could do was trust this man's word. "Let's call it a truce, friend."

"Let's get another thing straight, dick. I am not now and will never be your _friend, _so you can stop with all that bullshit," he spat, then retracted quickly, "But I'm open to a truce, if that's what you want to call it."

"Excellent. Now I have a date tomorrow night so that wont work for me. How about Wednesday? 7:00? I'll pick you up at that pathetic bar you're always going to," Klaus sounded only mildly amused and Damon made a promise to himself at this point to never let his guard down, no matter how convincing his new accomplice might be.

"A date?" he laughed, "What girl did you drug?"

"Oh, let's just say you gave me an idea," Klaus replied quickly and Damon's laughter slowed to a stop.

Remembering the terms to their truce Damon ignored the comment. "7:00 Wednesday. Come alone, this isn't one of your stupid gang induction ceremonies," he settled, beginning to feel uneasy about the direction the conversation was going.

"See you then, friend," before Damon could object the noise on the other end of the line stopped.

He threw his phone into the passenger seat and without taking much time to think about a plan he made a sharp U-Turn in the middle of the highway. This time the sign on the side of the road read: "Welcome to Mystic Falls! We hope you stay a while." Damon laughed at the irony of the number of times he had been welcomed by the message and noted that although the length of time changed with each visit, he could never really manage to stay away from this town for too long.

...

Tuesday morning dragged on slowly. At lunch I had resumed my usual table with Caroline and the cheerleaders, but already I wished that I could be alone with my brother again. My mind today was in a different universe entirely than yesterday and I found it very difficult to pretend to be interested in anyone's stories.

"You know Elena, it's pretty hard to get pumped up about my date when you're being such a downer," Caroline said quietly from beside me, bumping my shoulder with hers.

I continued to poke at my food with a fork and looked at her with a half-smile, "I'm sorry, Care. I really am excited for you. I just have a lot on my mind," I apologized for the fifteenth time that day.

"What happened? Yesterday you were fine," she pouted.

I sighed and looked at my best friend; I could tell she desperately wanted to get inside my head and understand my random mood shifts. I feflt terrible for keeping things from her for so long when she had always been so open and honest with me. I decided in that moment that enough was enough; it was time to let someone else in on my secret, whether she hated me for it or not. The new Elena had no secrets and no regrets, and I had to make sure I always remembered that.

I looked around at the crowded lunch room, seeking solitude for the story I was about to divulge. "Can you come to the courtyard with me? I need to tell you something."

"Oh my God, are you pregnant?" Caroline grabbed my arm immediately, her eyes bulging.

"No!" I answered, a little too loudly. Slightly offended I brushed off her assumption, thankful at least for this truth, "I am not pregnant, God Caroline. Just come outside with me," I stood up with my tray, walking towards the trash cans and the double doors that led outside.

"It's cold out there," Caroline complained but followed close behind nonetheless.

Caroline was right; as I pushed open the door I was slapped hard with a freezing gust of wind. I pulled my sweater tighter around my shoulders and walked Caroline over to a concrete table to sit down. "I'll make it fast," I promised, watching her exaggerated shivering. "I need to tell you what's been going on with me for the past few weeks."

"It's about time," Caroline hugged herself, teeth chattering. "What's up?"

"I've been seeing someone," I spat out before I could change my mind. The chill in the air helped my nerves and I truly did want to get this over with quickly. "Well, I was... Until Tyler's party. We got in a fight earlier that day. He was supposed to come to the dance with me but he decided to get drunk instead," I rambled, watching her reaction change more with each word that left my mouth.

"Drunk?! Jesus Elena, how old is this guy? And who is he, and how could you keep something so major from me? I thought we were done with secrets after the whole kidnapping thing," she scolded.

"This secret started before that," I explained, "It just kind of, kept going. I couldn't tell you because... because you would have killed me," I squinted my eyes as if I were cowering from her inevitable blows.

"Spit it out, Elena," she crossed her arms.

The sound of the bell ringing inside caused us both to turn our heads. Everyone in the lunch room stood up simultaneously and I watched as they all made their way to the trash bins, knowing now I really had no more time to waste.

"The reason I broke up with Stefan is," I took a deep breath but regretted it instantly as my lungs filled with freezing air, "I left him for his brother," I exhaled quickly, wanting to run inside before she had a chance to respond.

"Oh my God!" She squealed, covering her hand with her mouth. "Damon?! The guy you've been seeing is _Damon_?"

I reached for her hand and she backed away, but I could tell by her expression that she was only offended as a formality to our friendship. "And by left him for," I continued in the spirit of full disclosure, "I mean that I cheated on him with his brother. I broke up with Stefan the next day," she gasped again and I rushed on, "I didn't mean for any of it to happen the way it did, I swear. If I would have had the chance to end things with Stefan before I got with Damon I would have, but it just... It didn't happen that way. And when I thought Damon had stood me up the night of the dance I assumed he was leaving town or something. I was pissed at him and pissed at myself and Stefan was there. He's always there, and I can't help but feel something for him. They're just so different, Care. What one lacks the other has, and vice versa. I guess I thought I could have the best of both worlds," as I continued my confession her face softened; I could tell she was relating to my struggle and she wanted to understand. "It all backfired. Now they both hate me. I thought I could get over everything and move on. But then Damon showed up at my house last night."

"I don't know how much more of this I can handle right now," she said honestly, turning towards the doors that lead back inside. She maintained eye contact with me as we walked inside, both visibly comforted by the blast of the heater. "What did he want?" she asked quietly as we walked down the hall towards my next class.

"He said he came to say goodbye," saying the words out loud nearly brought tears to my eyes and Caroline noticed, reaching instinctively to put her arm around my shoulder.

"I love you, Lae. I may not agree with your crazy decisions lately, but I'm always going to be on your side. You shouldn't have gone through all this alone," she said sternly, turning me around to face her. "From now on you tell me everything. You're gonna get through this," she smiled and my hope was restored, even if only for a brief moment.

"Thanks Care. I should have told you sooner, I just..." I had no good explanation and I looked down, hoping she got the hint.

"It's cool. From now on," she emphasized. "Now to make up for your lack of dedication to our friendship, your punishment will be coming to my house today to help me get ready."

"Sounds fair," I smiled and she finally released her grasp on my arms. "Don't let my crappy attitude ruin your day, Care. You deserve to have the best date ever," I called over my shoulder as I entered the door to my class.

She smiled and blew me a kiss as she walked off down the hall. As she turned around I saw her stop abruptly and her stance became awkward. She was passing by Tyler's locker and he stood there staring at her, having heard every word we just said. His expression was one to kill if looks were capable.

"Hey Ty," I heard her say nervously. She gave a small wave as she passed and his eyes followed her down the hall.

Hating to see the look of the heartbroken and knowing exactly how it felt to be on both ends of the stick, I turned away from the scene. For the rest of the day I focused my attention on my school work, still feeling unsettled but relieved that at least I had another ally to disclose my innermost secrets to. I truly did feel like a different person than the broken girl I was before; now all I needed to do was prove to Damon that I knew what I wanted in life and hope that he would give me another chance to show how much I had grown.

...

After school it took nearly two hours for Caroline and Elena to find the perfect combination of clothes, jewelry, and makeup for Caroline's date. Around 5:00 Caroline quickly rushed Elena out the door, anxious that her suitor might arrive early to pick her up and nervous that he would see how much planning had gone into her preparation. In perfect gentlemanly fashion, Nik pulled into her driveway five minutes before he was due at 6:00. She had been secretly looking out of her bedroom window and when she noticed his car she dashed down the stairs, slowing as she reached the bottom to smooth out her top and check her makeup one last time in the mirror at the end of the hall. He knocked on the door and she waited thirty seconds before opening it so as not to appear too anxious.

Nik greeted her with that charming smile she had not been able to make herself forget about, holding a bouquet of a dozen pink roses. He was dressed in tight dark jeans and a sleek black button-down shirt; she noticed right away that his shoes were Gucci and she made a mental note to add that to the list she had started in her mind about how this man must be her soul mate.

"Hello Caroline," he greeted her, giving her a twice over with his eyes. "You look radiant."

She looked down at her feet and blushed, feeling as if she might float away on cloud nine already. "Hi Nik. You don't look too bad yourself," she batted her eyelashes as she looked into his eyes and once again was nearly knocked off her feet by his captivating smile. Caroline reached for the flowers to distract from her staring. "Thank you so much, they're beautiful. I can't remember the last time anyone brought me flowers that weren't part of an apology," she rolled her eyes playfully and held the door open with her free hand.

"Well you must have never been with a man who appreciates you the way you deserve," Nik said smoothly as he stepped into her foyer.

"I'll go put these in water. Wait here, I'll be right back," Caroline flashed another quick smile before turning down the hallway towards the kitchen. Her mom was out shopping and she knew she would need to act quickly before she arrived home. She hurriedly found a glass vase, filled it with water and set the flowers down into it. When she was finished she rushed back to the foyer where Nik was busying himself looking at family pictures that lined a table by the door.

As Caroline grabbed her jacket off of the coat hanger he commented, "It looks like you never had an awkward phase," he looked at Caroline to gauge her reaction and she appeared embarrassed. "Is this your mom? She looks familiar," he pointed towards a picture of Caroline and her mother from last summer.

Hating to divulge this information to anyone who did not already know, Caroline sighed and mumbled, "She's the sheriff."

Nik's eyes widened and he stood up straight. "Well, I better make sure I take good care of you then," he held his hand out expectantly for Caroline's; she was shocked at his brashness but thrilled at the same time. She gladly took his hand and he lead her out the front door and down the sidewalk to his car.

After his previous acts of chivalry Caroline found that she was not the least bit surprised when he opened the passenger side door of his Camaro for her. She slid in as gracefully as she could and watched as he glided around the front of the car. When he finally sat down beside her and started the engine he said, "I hope you like Rio. I made reservations."

Caroline had only been to Rio once before - Junior prom last year. She could hardly contain her excitement but managed to respond, "Sure, sounds great," as smoothly as possible.

During the car ride there was not an awkward moment between them. Nik asked just the right questions about Caroline's past and she had the perfect response for every inquiry; in return, she did not get much of a chance to ask Nik about his life but learned that he was from the city and he was very close with his siblings. She knew right away that he must be nearing thirty by the distant way that he referred to his past but she thought it best to remain in the dark about this information. She had never dated a man more than three years older than her before and she knew that her mother would flip a gasket if she found out.

Throughout the rest of the evening Caroline's thoughts occasionally drifted to Tyler. She truly did feel terrible about ending things with him so abruptly and she knew that he would be devastated to learn that she had moved on so quickly. These thoughts were fleeting, however, as she reminded herself how fortunate she was to finally have found a man who knew how to treat a woman. There was something a little distant about Nik, though, that she could not quite put her finger on, but she reminded herself that she had her own secrets and that this was only their first date - hopefully there would be plenty of time to dive into his history later on.

After dinner Caroline hoped that Nik would suggest prolonging the date; she was disappointed when he suggested instead that he get her home before her mother started to worry, but she knew he was right. The mood began to shift as they neared her house and she wondered if Nik thought it too soon to kiss her. Ever since the first time she saw him she had thought about nothing else but the way his lips might feel on hers, but she had a sneaking suspicion that he was not the type to give away all his moves on the first night.

At long last they arrived in Caroline's driveway. She waited patiently as he got out to open her car door, taking his hand to pull herself up from the seat. His right hand remained on her door while his left moved to circle the back of his neck in what was the most awkward moment she had witnessed from him yet. She could tell that he was contemplating the very thing she had thought of in the car, and finally he closed the car door and dropped both hands to his sides.

"Thank you allowing me the honor, Ms. Caroline. We should do this again soon," he stepped forward, the charming smile back in place.

Caroline smiled again, noting that her cheeks were beginning to hurt. "The honor was mine, believe me," she replied with a seductive glance.

He opened his arms and pulled her in for a hug; this was the closest she had been to him yet and his scent drove her wild. He wrapped both of his arms around her and she could not believe how comfortably she fit into his embrace. When he pulled away she looked up at him eagerly but he stepped backwards, breaking their embrace.

As her hand fell from his back he caught it with his own and once again placed a small kiss on the base of her knuckle. "Goodnight sweetheart. I'll call you," he stared at her longingly as he dropped her hand and once again she found that her arm hovered in his absence, wishing he still had a hold of her.

All she could do was smile as he got into his car and she waved as he backed out of the driveway. He made eye contact with her again before he pulled away and she swore she thought she saw him wink. She let out a long breath of air, watching it dance in front of her in the cold air. "Wow," she said out loud, her smile bigger than ever. Barely able to prevent from squealing with delight, she ran up the stairs to her front porch and inside to call Elena. Although she had said it before, she told herself that this time it was real - she was definitely going to marry this guy.

...

As the Forbes house disappeared into the background Klaus focused his eyes from the rear view mirror to the road ahead. The charming smile he had worn all night shifted into a more comfortable smirk and he could not help but chuckle to himself, "This will be fun."


	35. Chapter 35

Damon had snuck in to the house unnoticed on Monday night after his conversation with Klaus. Thus far he had been sleeping on the couch in the living room but tonight he could think of nothing more comforting than being in his own bed. He fumbled through the hall closet upstairs looking for a spare set of sheets, blankets, and pillows and finally found enough supplies to get him through the night. When he turned on the light in his room he was taken aback by how deserted and lonely the room suddenly appeared. He felt a twinge of nostalgia for his belongings and began to regret ever leaving in the first place. He emptied the contents of his arms onto the bed and walked into the bathroom, remembering how frustrating it had been to clean up all of the glass he had broken the day he left. He traced his hand around the sink and looked at the wall where the mirror had once been, allowing himself to relive every emotion he had felt that day. So much had changed since then and he admitted to himself finally that he regretted nothing; everything that happened since then had lead him to where he was now and he was finally beginning to feel whole again.

After quietly reflecting for several minutes he made up his bed and crawled in, thankful to still have a place to come home to when nowhere else felt right. As he fell asleep that night he fought off the recent memories of seeing Elena earlier in the night and he could not help but feel that something was still missing between them.

Tuesday morning came quickly and Damon found that he had spent most of the night tossing and turning despite finally being in the comfort of his own bed. The truth was he was unsettled about many things, the top of the list being his meeting with Klaus on Wednesday. What made him most uneasy about these plans was that no one else knew about them. If anything happened to him while he was at Klaus' mercy no one would know to come looking for him - but on the flip side, he knew it was better this way. He did not want to start a new argument with his brother and he certainly did not want to involve Elena in any way. He sincerely hoped that whatever he learned on Wednesday had no significance to any of the people he was close to and that he might actually have something worthwhile and distracting to keep him occupied for a few weeks.

After dressing in what appeared to be the last clean shirt in his duffel bag Damon turned the TV on downstairs. He satisfied his appetite with a piece of nearly-week old leftover pizza from the fridge and water from the tap, noting that Stefan had obviously given up on grocery shopping in his brother's absence. A few hours passed and finally the sun was at the appropriate position in the sky for it not to appear too suspicious when he walked through the front door of a bar. He grabbed his keys, got in his car and drove to Mystic Saloon.

He had been here a few nights over the past week but he had not run into his friend Earl the owner yet. Today he had a feeling that Earl might be there and oddly enough he was the first person Damon saw when he sat down at his seat at the bar.

"I was beginning to think something terrible had happened to you kid," Earl smiled warmly at Damon and began to open a new bottle of Belvenie behind the bar.

"Ah, the good stuff. Is this a special occasion?" Damon asked, eying the bottle excitedly.

"Well sure, you're back in town. That's occasion enough, right?" Earl answered, pouring a glass for Damon and a glass for himself.

"How did you know I left?" Damon brought the glass to his face and inhaled the smell, warming his nostrils. His throat began to clench with anticipation and he took a long, slow sip as he waited for Earl to respond.

Earl had taken a swig as well and he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Good stuff. Kid, I know everything that goes on in this town. I own a bar," he chuckled.

Damon nodded, feeling slightly juvenile for asking. For a few minutes they sat in silence, both glancing at the TV above the bar but knowing that neither was paying much attention to what was on. Finally after half of his glass was gone Damon said, "Let me ask you a question, Earl. Have you ever been in love?"

Earl slowly moved his eyes to Damon, eyebrows raised and a knowing smile on his face. "Sure I have. I was married for thirty years, but before that..." Damon laughed at his attempt at a joke and Earl continued, pleased that Damon had picked up on his humor. "My wife was the greatest woman who ever lived. Breast cancer, two years ago," his smile faded and he shook his head, ending the story with a sip of his drink.

"Sorry to hear that," Damon had a feeling that Earl's story might be heading that direction and he waited for a cue from Earl to continue his own.

"What's eatin' ya, kid? Woman problems? Or girl problems, I guess I should say," he winked and Damon became embarrassed briefly.

"Guess you could say that," he twisted the glass around on the bar, thinking of how he wanted to explain the situation. "I'm no good for her, man. I tried to tell her that. I told her I was fucked up but she didn't believe me. So when I acted like an ass she slept with my brother," this was the first time he had said this out loud to anyone and as the words left his mouth he could barely recognize his own voice. He had finally admitted what happened and strangely enough he didn't feel shocked to hear his own confession.

"Wow," Earl laughed and shook his head. "I'd say that qualifies as a problem, Damon. Is that why you left?"

Damon thought about his answer as he finished off his glass. Sure, that was why he had left. But it wasn't because he was heartbroken or upset; he blamed himself for everything that lead up to Elena's unfaithfulness and he had not been innocent himself. He had betrayed his own brother just weeks before and he knew exactly why Elena had done what she did. He knew what it felt like to be confused and vengeful and the reason he left town was to eliminate himself from everyone's life. He had brought out the worst in a sweet, innocent girl and he had ruined his little brother's life. He was not mad at Elena and he certainly was not mad at Stefan; he was mad at himself.

"Yeah," he answered finally, deciding not to divulge his self-discovery.

"Well what are you gon' do?" Earl poured some more whiskey into Damon's glass, his eyes moving back and forth from the glass to Damon's face.

Damon smiled, "I thought that was your job, being a bar owner and all. You're supposed to tell me what I'm going to do."

Earl's throaty laughter reminded Damon so much of his father's; he loved to hear it, even when it was at his own expense. After Earl's laugh had slowed and left behind a smile he said after some thought, "Well if you ask me, it seems to me like you already know."

"Typical bartender answer," Damon shook his head, fully expecting that response.

"What I mean is, you came back. Didn't you? That says something," his eyes locked with Damon's and his expression rendered genuine concern and understanding.

Damon just stared back, reading the life in Earl's eyes. Beginning to feel a little uncomfortable, he decided on changing the subject. "Last time I was here, with Elena...You said something about not thinking you would ever see the two of us together. Why'd you say that?"

Earl's face shifted into a awkward grin and he broke eye contact, moving to pour himself another glass. He reached under the bar where he was standing and slid out a hidden stool. As he took a seat on the stool across from Damon he sipped his drink, eyes blinking in consideration. "I guess it's ironic, now that you mention it," he said, concern reading on his face. "Your parents used to be good friends with the Gilberts. Actually, when their daughter was born - Elena," he looked at Damon before continuing, "Shortly after your brother, her mother and yours spent a lot of time together with the babies. Play-dates and whatnot," he chuckled again. "You know my wife and I used to babysit the three of you every once in a while so your parents and hers could go out together."

Damon's eyes widened and he immediately attempted to stretch his thoughts back to his childhood for any trace of a memory of the Gilberts or baby Elena. His mind came up empty but as the thought crossed his mind he could not help but laugh at the irony. "That's a little ridiculous to think about," he replied, "Makes me feel kind of funny, honestly Earl. And that's saying a lot for me."

Earl finally smiled, relieved that Damon did not get too upset with his news. "Hey, to each his own," he raised his glass with a shrug. "My wife was 15 years my junior, so I can't say much. I could have been her babysitter," he laughed.

Damon smiled back, allowing the strange turn of events to sink in for a few minutes. Finally he asked, "So what happened? I saw the looks you and those biker guys were giving us. There's more to the story," he urged.

Earl sighed, obviously hoping Damon hadn't caught on. "People change, you know. Drift apart. Right before your dad died," he paused, hoping he had not struck a chord in his audience. When Damon's face remained unchanged he continued, "Word got out that he was associated with the gang in the city. Rumor has it he introduced Grayson Gilbert to that guy, whatever his name was, who they caught a few years later. Grayson was livid and he tried to talk your dad out of his decision to hang around them. Apparently it was too late, your dad had been one of them for years. No one in town could believe it, but later a few more retired gang members started to surface around town. They confirmed everything and your dad's reputation was ruined. Shame, even in death this town can't overlook a man's past."

Damon listened quietly, captivated and hurt at the same time. He had always known that his father felt he could trust no one in the months before he died and he remembered noticing a change in the way that the kids at school treated him as well. His mother, who used to be a social goddess, had become so indrawn and secluded. His parents would fight constantly and now it all made sense. This is why his mother had committed suicide and left he and his brother alone; his father had ruined everything for their family and his mother had been fighting it for so long, but once he was murdered there was no denying it any longer. His dad was a gang member and his mother could not live with the embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, kid. I hate to be the one to tell you all that. If it matters, I never once thought of your father as anything but a good, honest man. What a man does for work is his own choice. But no one can ever say that your dad didn't fight for what he believed in. He was loyal to that man, loyal to your mom, and loyal to you and your brother. Don't ever forget that," he nodded in assurance before gracefully slipping away to the kitchen to leave Damon alone in his thoughts.

Earl's last sentiment resounded in Damon's head for several minutes. He hated having to decide whether he was proud or ashamed of his own father, but in that moment he decided that the bar owner was right. It did not matter what his dad did for a living; he had formed a friendship with Mikaelson and he remained faithful to that friendship no matter what it did to his social life, guarding his family from his poor decisions the best that he could for many years. The day that he decided to betray his friend was the beginning of the end for himself and ultimately for his family but even then he was only doing what he thought to be in everyone's best interest. Mikaelson was already paying for what he did to his father; now Damon had a chance to fight for his family's honor to defend the man who ruined his life and he had made up his mind - he was going to help Klaus take him down.

...

I awoke on Wednesday morning feeling much the same as I had Tuesday - empty, filled with regret, and alone. After getting ready for school I went downstairs as I always had; Jenna and Jeremy sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast and I grabbed an apple out of the basket in the center of the table, headed for the door so as not to have to hide my feelings from my aunt and brother again.

"Hold on a minute!" Jenna called after me, standing up. "First of all, I thought we were over this emo crap?" She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow at me. I smiled, trying hard to remind myself to stay positive. "Second, when are you going to tell me what you want to do for your birthday this weekend? Don't think if we don't talk about it we're all just going to forget."

Of course it wouldn't be that easy. This time of year had always been the best time for me in the past; Thanksgiving, my birthday, and Christmas all rolled into a few glorious weeks. By the time one occasion was over it was time to start preparing for the next. However, this year was different with the loss of my parents and I had barely made it through the first holiday of the season in one piece. The last thing I wanted to do was make a big deal out of my 18th birthday, just another momentous occasion that my parents would not be present for in my life. I knew that they would want me to have a huge extravaganza to celebrate my womanhood (as my mother had so graciously coined to refer to the occasion on my last birthday), but I could not bring myself to do it without her and all that I really wanted this year was to be with my family; no parties, no presents, and definitely no surprises. After all, what better way to celebrate adulthood than by starting out my adult life in the most boring, grown-up way possible?

"I told you before, Jen. I just want it to be us, and I don't want anything. Seriously," I shot her an evil, warning glare and she held her hands up in defense.

"You are not allowed to hold this against me. You only turn 18 once, Elena. You're going to have a party and you're going to like it. If you don't want to help me plan it I'll do it myself, but when you walk in to a room full of clowns and ponies don't say I didn't warn you," Jenna approached me slowly, tucking my hair behind my ear. She put her thumb on my chin and turned my face to look at hers. "Cheer up, kid. Your mom wouldn't want to see you like this during this time of year," she frowned.

I smiled, turning away as casually as possible from her touch. "I know," I sighed, picking my school bag up off of the floor and slinging it onto my shoulder. "If you want to plan a party I guess I can't stop you," I said with my back turned. I could visualize her celebration behind me and I called to Jeremy to hurry up before I had time to change my mind.

As soon as I walked through the front doors of the school Caroline bombarded me with stories of her date. I had never seen her this excited about a guy who she had not even kissed yet and I hoped the best for her and her new beau. She told me that they had been texting all night after he left and had made plans to go to The Grille this Friday so that everyone could meet him. I was happy for her but nervous at the same time about meeting an older stranger; the way things were going lately, I was certain that he must know Damon and I did not want to be reminded about my recent experience with older men if I could help it.

"So Jenna told me this morning that you finally gave her the OK to start planning for Saturday!" Caroline squealed happily, grabbing both of my hands.

I couldn't resist smiling at her reaction and I tilted my head to the side, "I had a feeling you two were already plotting. No Stefan," I warned, "No drama."

"Obviously," she rolled her eyes, releasing my hands. "Just the old gang. And maybe Nik, if you approve on Friday."

"The way you've been talking, I'm sure he's great. Any boyfriend of yours is a friend of mine," I assured her.

"Boyfriend?" She smiled and we walked down the hall arm-in-arm. "I like the sound of that."

...

Much to his surprise, Damon was not the least bit nervous as he sat in the parking lot of Mystic Saloon on Wednesday night. He had actually started to become excited at the prospect of a little adventure, and after talking with Earl the other day he had decided that he could not wait to meet the man who ruined his life. After tonight he would know who was responsible for ruining his family and with or without Klaus, he had the capability to seek revenge however he saw fit. He also knew that he did not have to be brash; he had the rest of his life to make this man suffer for what he did and he intended to drag out the process as long as possible. It felt good to be back in control of his own destiny, and it felt even better to be excited about something despite the drama in his personal life.

Right on time, Klaus' truck pulled into the parking lot. He found Damon's car quickly and this made him the slightest bit uneasy, but he reminded himself that this time he was willing to be found and he got out of the car. The truck pulled up next to him and the passenger window rolled down.

"Greetings," Klaus wore a wicked smile and Damon returned it with one of his own.

"This had better be worth my time," he said, resting his arms on the window.

"Oh, it should be. Get in," Klaus pushed a button to his left and the door lock clicked. Damon opened the door and sat down, feeling a rush of nerves and excitement at the same time. "We're going for a little ride."

"Can't we skip the dramatics? Just tell me who the asshole is and what your brilliant plan is to bring him down," Damon suggested, looking out the window. He knew this plea was useless but he had to show his displeasure.

"It's so much more fun this way," Klaus' smile was present in his voice; Damon could visualize the expression on his face without even looking. The thought of it still made him feel sick and angry and he kept his head turned away as much as he could help it to avoid bringing back bad feelings. "Let's recap, shall we? The man we're going to see tonight-" Klaus began.

"Going to see?" Damon interrupted, looking at Klaus unavoidably.

"If we're lucky," Klaus turned his head just slightly to meet Damon's glare then fixed his sight back on the road ahead. "He was with your dad the night my father sent him to kill my stepfather. Your dad chickened out, made our friend promise not to tell anyone, and let my poor stepdaddy go. Our friend is just ridden with fear and he can't go two weeks before ratting your dad out to mine. We'll skip the bit about what happens next," Damon could feel Klaus looking at him but he continued to stare out the window, jaw clenched. "Now you and your brother are in foster care, parentless. Our friend is filled with guilt and he decides to right his wrongs by turning my father in to the police. Now he's in jail and the coward is the town hero."

"You throw that word around so loosely," Damon scoffed, "You must not have many real _friends_."

"I define the term a little differently than most," Klaus replied defensively. "So a little background on our friend. His family has lived in Mystic Falls forever, one of the founders - much like your family. He and your father were the best of friends. In fact," Klaus laughed menacingly, "When you were born, he was named your godfather. How's that for irony?" Damon ignored the question, though he was more intrigued now than ever. He tried to remember all of the men that his father was friends with from his childhood; a few faces stood out but no names of significance. "Of course at this time no one knew that your dad was working for mine, if the stories are accurate. Our friend was a lawyer in the city, and a damned good one. One year he was DA on a murder trial. The man he was defending was framed and everyone knew it. But he wasn't able to dig up enough evidence and his client was sentenced to life. After that he became depressed; he quit his job at the firm right after his wife had their son and she threatened to leave him. Your dad took him in and introduced him to mine. Things were going pretty smoothly for about a year or two; his wife took him back despite all the rumors that started to surface about what he and your dad were really doing for work in the city. But he was a sneaky little bastard. He managed to fool everyone, even after your dad's death. Said that he and your dad never worked together and that he had been trying to talk him out of that life for years. He was a natural leader and everyone in town looked to him for advice after the tragedy in your family."

Damon made a mental note to thank Klaus later for referring to what happened to his family as a tragedy, because it was nothing short of that. That was the first inkling of sympathy that he had ever let on for Damon and he thought that maybe beneath the hard shell there might be a soft interior dying to be set free. "How do you know all this?" He asked to break the awkward silence that followed.

Klaus laughed, "Damon, I've been plotting to get this jerk most of my adult life. An 'anonymous tip' to the police is not so effective when you come home and brag to an entire town, and then use your story for personal gain. I know everything there is to know about him."

"So why now?" Damon had already asked this question to Rebekah about her involvement; he was anxious to hear Klaus' reasoning for un-burying the hatchet.

Klaus was silent for a few seconds. Finally he responded, "I was respecting my father's wishes. Things have changed now."

Damon understood this more than Klaus would ever know and he once again thought to himself that perhaps there were similarities between he and his new 'friend'. Klaus continued to drive through the darkness down streets that Damon barely recognized from his childhood. The ride became silent until finally Klaus pulled down a road that appeared to be deserted. He slowed his truck and looked over at Damon. "Are you ready to meet your mystery man?"

"I'm ready for you to stop being so damn shady," Damon answered honestly, ignoring the question. He would never admit it, but Klaus had made this exciting by being so secretive and he was figuratively on the edge of his seat.

Klaus laughed again and the truck crept along the road, lights finally emanating from a large house around the corner. As they got closer to the mansion Damon squinted his eyes in deep reflection; this house was familiar to him, for more reasons than one. He remembered it from his childhood and he had also seen it in pictures - at the police station the night Elena's parents died and posted on a community bulletin board at The Grille.

"This is the mayor's house..." He thought out loud, slowly piecing the puzzle together.

"I told you he was a sneaky bastard," Klaus was beaming with pride as he witnessed shock appear all over Damon's face.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Damon cursed, his voice now raised with confusion and anger. "Mayor Lockwood is the dick who ruined my family?"

"None other than," Klaus' smile was beginning to fade into a grimace and his eyes lost their luster as he continued to stare at the house. "What town wouldn't want to elect their new hero as Mayor? He had saved them all from the big, bad gangster in the city who was causing everyone so much sorrow. No one knows who he really is. And that's where we come in."

"Klaus, his son goes to my brother's school. They hang out, they're friends. What do you think we're going to be able to do? He has a family and the entire town worships him," Damon's thoughts continued to unfold in his head and he voiced his skepticism out loud.

"He's a former gang member, a snitch, and an attempted murderer. That's the truth, Damon. And that's exactly what we're going to do - set it free. But first we're going to ruin his life from the inside out. We're going to take away everything he tried to take from us," The eerie glow was back in Klaus' eyes and for the first time tonight Damon became scared of the man he had suddenly allied himself with.

Damon considered the implications immediately. Hurting this man meant hurting his family, and he knew that once Stefan and Elena found out anything was happening to one of their friends they would become involved, even if only through six degrees. That was too close for comfort and he needed to quickly determine if this would all be worth it. As he connected the dots in his head, trying to remember the name of Lockwood's son from the brief encounters he had had with him, he thought of an even more dangerous connection - this was the house that Elena and Stefan had been at the night they slept together.

"Let's get out of here," he said suddenly, feeling his temperature rising.

Klaus looked over at his passenger, confused at his sudden outburst. "Are you chickening out already?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"No," Damon answered shortly, "I don't want to sit here and stare at this house anymore. And I need to process everything. Just take me back."

In response Klaus took his foot off of the break. He made a U-Turn in the street and drove away from the house, silent for several minutes. As they pulled into the parking lot of Mystic Saloon he said quietly, "I know this is a lot. It took me a while to come to terms with it too. But you have your dad's blood in your veins, whether you like it or not. You and I - we're meant to be the way we are, Damon. If you're like me I know you won't be able to let it go. You might think the anger will go away. Trust me, it won't. And you have something I never did before - help."

Damon started straight ahead as Klaus spoke. The truck was parked now and his mind was torn; part of him wanted to stay and find out more, find out what part he might play in Klaus' plan - but a bigger part wanted to leave and be alone to process what he had learned so far. Klaus was right, this _was_ a lot. He had expected it in a way, but he never imagined the twist the plot would take - that his new enemy might be the town's leader. How was he supposed to stand up to someone so powerful? And worse, how did someone so terrible blind so many people for so many years? Knowing all that he knew, how could he let it continue?

"Thanks for showing me," Damon spoke finally, still avoiding eye contact. "I want to help. But I need some time."

"Well, I know where to find you if I don't hear from you," Klaus replied. Damon could not be sure if he was teasing or threatening so he left it alone. "If you're not all in I don't need you at all. Your choice."

Damon nodded, opening the door at the same time. He stepped out and turned back to look at Klaus. "I'm not like you. But if my dad went down because of this guy then it's my responsibility to even the scales. I'll call you. And remember our deal," he waited for Klaus' face to show signs of understanding. When he received a slight nod he closed the truck door, turning to his own car. Klaus revved his engine and backed up quickly, peeling out of the parking lot in true villain fashion. Damon turned his keys around in his hand for a few seconds before deciding to put them back in his pocket. He turned on his heel and headed inside the Saloon, hoping to confide in a new friend.


	36. Chapter 36

Caroline had been excited for Friday all week. She barely let ten minutes of a conversation go without referring to what she was going to wear or how excited she was that I was finally going to meet her future husband. I did not take her words too literally; Caroline had said this about at least three of her previous boyfriends, Tyler included. However, I was anxious to meet the mysterious stranger who wooed her from Tyler's clutches and I went along with her fantasies for the rest of the week.

I had started to feel better by throwing myself into planning my weekend, which included my not-so-surprise birthday party. The more we talked about it the more excited I became, and I allowed myself to forget that my mother would not be there with me. She was there in spirit and I knew that she would be happy I was celebrating like she had wanted me to. My funk was dissipating faster than before and I began to forget about my encounter with Damon on Monday. Secretly I feared that maybe this time I was holding on to more hope than before that Damon would forgive me and be back in my life and this was the only reason I was able to stay positive. Either way, the prospect of the weekend seemed to be a good distraction from anything else that may be going on in my life and I threw myself into my plans.

Friday night finally came and I happily escorted Caroline into The Grille thirty minutes before our friends were due to arrive. She wanted to have time to secure a pool table and shake off her nerves before Nik got there and I was glad to assist.

"What if you hate him?" She frowned, her eyes more nervous than I had ever seen them.

"I will not hate him, will you just quit it!" I laughed and shook her shoulders.

Her head rolled back and forth loosely until finally a smile emerged. "I'm just scared. I need you to like him. You're going to be my maid of honor," She teased.

"You can stop with all that crap too," I joked. "You're not running away to marry some older mystery man any time soon, I'll be sure of that."

"Kidding," She rolled her eyes and grabbed the ball rack from the bar.

We walked to the pool table and began to set up cue sticks and chalk, lining enough chairs around the area to accommodate our large crowd. Obviously Tyler had not been invited but Caroline insisted he would show up anyway, just to start drama. I assured her this would not be the case but inside I feared it too.

Fifteen minutes later our friends began to arrive and Caroline's nerves were squalled by the entertainer in her. She could not resist being the center of attention and I loved watching her in her element. I was sitting with some girls from the cheerleading squad at a high top beside the pool table when he walked in the door.

"Nik!" Caroline squealed, throwing her arms up. She skipped over to greet him at the door and wrapped her arms around his neck.

I could not be certain until she released her grasp of him and he straightened up, but when I saw his face I nearly fell out of my chair. "Fucking hell," I cursed, surprising even myself.

"Elena!" Bonnie gasped, reaching for my wrist on the table. "What's wrong with you?"

My mouth hung open and all I could do was stare. "Nothing," I finally stammered out, stumbling out of the stool. "I need to... I have to... go to the bathroom," I mumbled.

"Are you drunk?" Bonnie giggled.

Ignoring her, I began to walk towards the bathroom. The room felt like it was closing in on me and all of the voices around me merged together in one big cloud of white noise. By the time I reached the bathroom sink I had to grab a hold of it to avoid falling down. My mind felt lightheaded and the echo of the voices in my head continued to beat in my eardrums. I turned the water on and splashed some on my face, certain I was going to pass out. I began to feel better instantly but to be safe I sunk to the floor, locking the bathroom door on my way down. I took out my cell phone and scrolled through my contacts, stopping on Damon's name. My thumb hovered over his number for a few seconds but I quickly changed my mind and backed out of the screen. Instead I found my brother's name and I dialed, waiting for him to answer.

"Hey sis," he answered, the sound of a radio blaring in the background.

"Jeremy, where are you?" I asked, my words still jumbled.

"I'm with the guys. We're on the way to The Grille. Isn't that where you guys are?" he replied, raising his voice over the music. "Dude, can you turn it down? It's my sister," I heard him say. The music lowered to a tolerable level and he continued, "Are you okay?"

"I need you to get here," I answered, feeling a little more normal already. "Caroline's new boyfriend just showed up. Guess who."

"What? Who?" He asked, obviously as clueless as I had been.

"Does the name _Nik_ ring a bell to you?" I placed my palm to my forehead, wanting to slap myself for being so ignorant. Of course I had heard that name before - that was what Klaus' siblings called him.

"Fuck," he knew instantly and I was thankful once again to have him on my side. "I'll be there in five minutes. Meet me in the parking lot."

I stood up and looked in the mirror again. Someone began to push on the bathroom door and I heard a girl's voice, "What the hell?"

I took a deep breath and unlatched the door, putting on my best smile. "Oops, sorry. Habit," I shrugged as I passed the stranger and she looked at me as if I were an alien.

My eyes quickly found Klaus and Caroline; he was shaking the hands of some of the guys on the football team who my friends were dating and Caroline was staring at him with hypnotized pleasure, hanging onto his arm. I was able to sneak out the front door unnoticed but I knew it would not be long before Caroline found me. Luckily as soon as she stepped outside, I saw Jeremy's friend's car pull into the lot. He got out quickly and ran to my side just as Caroline approached.

"What are you doing out here? You disappeared, I haven't even gotten to introduce you to-" she stopped as she turned me around, obviously noticing the terrified look on my face. "What's wrong Elena?"

I had no idea what to say. Jeremy understood in that moment that I had not told Caroline yet and he stood silently beside me, frowning with displeasure. After a few seconds of awkward silence the door to The Grille opened and Klaus emerged, innocent-looking and sleazy as ever.

"I was wondering where you went to," he said with a smile, walking up behind Caroline. As he put his arm around her waist she smiled up at him, ignoring for a brief moment how upset I had become. "You must be Elena. I've heard so much about you," as the word's left his mouth I could not resist glaring at him, wishing more than ever that I could punch his porcelain face.

"Elena, don't be rude," Caroline widened her eyes at me as I stared angrily at her date.

Before I could even contemplate a response Klaus turned her around to face him. "Your friend Bonnie said she needed you. Something about the server trying to take away one of your tables," he said quietly to her, obviously lying through his teeth.

"Oh, hell no!" Caroline stomped her foot and stormed off inside.

I was impressed with how quickly Klaus had Caroline pegged; he knew just what to say to get her attention. As soon as I was sure she had gone inside I stepped forward and shoved Klaus' shoulders with both of my hands as hard as I could.

He stumbled backwards slightly, laughing suddenly. "I guess I deserved that," he said, rubbing his shoulder.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! That's an innocent girl you're messing with. You have no idea what this is going to do to her when I tell her who you are! What's wrong with you? Don't you have a life somewhere?" I screamed.

Jeremy placed his hand on my arm. "Elena," he whispered harshly, a subtle reminder that we were in public.

I lowered my voice, "Why? Why are you doing this to me? I don't even talk to Damon or Stefan anymore."

"It's not about you, doll," he smiled soothingly but I was not fooled. "And I know you're not. I saw Damon two days ago."

_He's still in town_? I thought, a glimmer of excitement flashing through my mind. I quickly turned it off, focusing on the current situation. "Then what are you doing? Leave her alone."

"I like her," he smiled and shrugged, "Is that a crime?"

"Do you think she's going to keep seeing you when I tell her what you are? What you did to me?" I demanded, fists clenched together tightly.

"I'm sorry about that," he offered, and if I didn't know any better I would think he was being sincere. "I did what I thought I had to do to get the truth about what happened to my brother. You don't have much room to judge. Your boyfriend is the one who killed him."

I looked around, nervous that someone might have overheard. "Screw you," I said, flustered.

"Come on, Elena. What did I really do? I kept you in a hotel room for a few hours. I never touched you, I never hurt you. Not to mention I spared your brother," he looked at Jeremy, "Don't think I forgot about my car window, kid."

Jeremy's cheeks turned red and he narrowed his eyes. "I think I earned my forgiveness," he said.

"You kidnapped me," I snapped, interrupting their sidebar.

"I borrowed you. You wouldn't have come otherwise," he tilted his head to the side, acting as if this were no big deal. "Do you really want to ruin this for your friend, Elena? Look how happy I make her," he wasn't smiling now and I was not sure if he was being honest or trying to trick me again.

"Are you asking me not to tell her?" I laughed, highly amused.

"That's exactly what I'm doing," he smiled again, this time quickly and it vanished instantly. "I told you this has nothing to do with you."

"I want you out of my life," I felt the urge to hit him again and I was not sure I could stop myself much longer. "That means out of hers too."

"Fine, tell her. We'll see who she chooses in the end," he raised his eyebrows in challenge as he backed away.

When he vanished inside I turned to Jeremy. He pulled me in for a hug right away. "Are you okay?" he asked nervously.

"I'm fine. I just hate that asshole. I have to tell her," I pulled away shaking my head. The look on Jeremy's face stopped me from continuing and I narrowed my eyes at him. "What? Don't tell me you agree with him..."

"No," he shook his head, still frowning, "It's just, he's right about one thing. She is happy, Elena. What's going to happen when you tell her?"

I pursed my lips and continued to glare at Jeremy, knowing full well that he was right. "She's going to flip out, that's what. It's not my fault, Jer. I promised her that I'd be honest with her and she needs to know this. If she still wants to see him that's her choice."

Jeremy sighed, "Alright. Let's go tell her."

By the time we got back inside Klaus had caught back up to Caroline, who was looking entirely befuddled as she spoke with a waitress, hands in the air in protest. Apparently Klaus had not been lying about the table; perfect timing on his part. I watched as he pulled her arm and spun her towards him. I was anxious to see if he would rat himself out before I got to him, but I knew that he was waiting to be sure I wanted to go through with it. When he caught my eye as I walked towards them he knew in that moment there was no turning back and his face fell to a frown.

"Caroline, I need to tell you something," he was saying as I approached, arms crossed.

She narrowed her eyebrows, looking from Klaus' face to my own and then to Jeremy's, trying to figure out what had just happened.

"Go on, Klaus," I blurted out, indulging in the familiar feeling of prowess that I had experienced so often recently.

"What did you just call him?" Her voice came out in a high-pitched squeak and she instinctively pulled her arm away from his grasp, stepping away from all three of us.

"Let's go outside," Klaus whispered, gesturing towards the front door.

Caroline looked around at all of our friends who were beginning to stare. Visibly flustered, she lead the way outside through a side exit to the back of the parking lot. Once outside she turned around abruptly, arms folded sternly across her chest. "What is going on? You guys know each other?"

I wanted to be the one to tell her so badly, but I was curious to see how Klaus would do it himself and I hoped that maybe coming from him would soften the blow.

After all of us were silent for a few seconds until he finally spoke up, "Caroline, I haven't been completely honest with you. My full name is Niklaus, but my family calls me Nik. Everyone else knows me as Klaus."

"Wait, Elena... Isn't that the name of the guy who was causing you all that trouble?" Caroline was getting angry and as much as I loved her for her innocence, I knew it would take her a minute to catch on. I just stared at her sympathetically, hoping that she would get the hint. Finally her mouth fell open and she covered it with her hand. "Oh my God! You?!" She pointed at Klaus.

He stepped backwards as if an imaginary bullet had been shot from her finger and put a hand over his chest, shaking his head back and forth. "It was me, yes. But you don't understand, you don't know the whole story."

"Yes she does," I interrupted, relishing in the moment and hoping that Caroline continued to stay on my side.

"The Salvatores killed my brother, Caroline. My little brother," his puppy-dog eyes were too convincing and even I felt a twinge of sympathy. "I know my methods are unconventional but I needed to know the truth about what happened. I didn't want to hurt anyone, but I had to find out. It was the only way. I could have just called the police and had them investigate for me, but I didn't want to break up the only family they had left. I've apologized to her and I've moved on. Meeting you wasn't part of the plan," he stepped closer to her as he spoke and to my dismay her eyes softened.

"He kidnapped me, Caroline," I stepped forward as well, pushing him away with my hand. "He's in a gang."

Klaus laughed beside me, "I am not in a gang. It's called family, Elena. They're my brothers. We don't have parents, all they've ever had is me. You of all people should understand that."

I glared at him, unable to come up with a response to that. He was good, that much was for sure. I only hoped that Caroline was smarter than he was.

"God, enough!" She said finally, tilting her head back. "This is insane. I don't know what to think. But you should have told me all this before now, Nik. I mean Klaus. Whoever the hell you are. You need to go."

I smiled and raised my eyebrows at Klaus when he looked at me, responding to his challenge from earlier as if to say 'I win'.

"I hope you think some more about this. I like you a lot, Caroline. I've felt like a different person since I met you," his voice was lowered, directed at her although he knew Jeremy and I were still listening.

"Just go," she whispered, looking away.

Klaus stared at me hard before he walked away and I returned the favor, equally vengeful. He disappeared inside the restaurant and I turned to Caroline. "I'm so sorry, Care. I know you really liked him."

"Liked him?" She responded hopelessly, "This wasn't three years ago. It just happened. I _still_ like him, he's not dead. Why is there always a catch?" She walked to the curb and threw herself to the ground, shivering and pathetic.

"A catch?" I could not believe she was still so conflicted. This was a no-brainer, not something to consider. "Caroline, he's a terrible person. He's an asshole and his entire family are assholes. His dad killed Damon and Stefan's-"

"God, would you listen to yourself? Damon killed his brother, Elena. Doesn't that make him a terrible person too?" She looked up at me and my mouth fell open.

Caroline had rarely been so harsh with me and I instantly became angry. Before I said something I would later regret I considered her side. She was right; if you looked at the facts Damon appeared worse on paper than even Klaus did, but I never let that stop me from falling for him. Damon had killed someone; as far as I knew, Klaus had not. I was angry because of what Klaus had done to me, but hadn't Damon hurt Caroline once not so long ago? I had been blinded by love and I understood how she felt. Of course there were other factors to consider when comparing the two, but I had absolutely no reason to judge Caroline for her struggle between heart and mind.

"You're right," I actually scoffed out loud at the realization and I sat down beside her on the curb. Jeremy watched on, an innocent bystander caught in between feuding friends. "I'm sorry, Care. I know how much this sucks."

Caroline just nodded. I noticed that tears had started to slide down her cheeks and I wiped one away, hoping that I could be the bigger person and get over this feeling that she was betraying me by considering dating my enemy. I reminded myself that I had changed; I needed to grow up and reflect on my own mistakes, not tell others how to live their lives. As thunder sounded overhead Caroline finally looked up at me, utterly distraught. "Let's go in," I suggested, holding out my hand. "You don't have to decide anything tonight."

She took my hand and I helped her up. Jeremy was already holding the door open for us and we went inside just as rain started to fall. I looked out the window as the rain hit the pavement, wondering why the weather so often seemed to rival my emotions.


	37. Chapter 37

When I woke up on Saturday morning I half expected to be setting up for my party by myself. I had been out of line by lecturing Caroline about Klaus and I was not entirely sure she would forgive me so quickly. I realized soon that I had severely underestimated the loyalty of my best friend when she showed up at my door, grocery bags in hand.

"Well, are you going to just stand there or can I get some help?" She wore an expression of mock agitation and I was warmed by her compassion immediately.

I took the bags from her hand into the kitchen and sat them on the counter. As soon as my hands were free she scooped me up in her arms and spun me around. "Happy birthday!" she screamed, causing Jeremy to poke his head up over the couch.

"Put me down!" I giggled and she obliged. "Thanks, Care. You're the best."

"I know," she shrugged smugly and walked back towards the front door. "Now put your shoes on. You have a lunch date with your brother."

I looked at Jeremy suspiciously and he smiled, standing up. He walked over to me and held his arm out. "Your chariot awaits," he said jokingly.

I laced my arm through his and smiled at him. "There's no person in the world I would rather spend my day with," I told him.

When we got outside I saw Caroline's mother's red corvette in the driveway. I had always loved this car and had only ridden in it once, but I always told Caroline how badly I wanted the same car one day. Overcome with excitement I turned around. Caroline stood in the doorway beaming from ear to ear. "I know, I'm the best," she said.

I ran back and hugged her, this time lifting her off the ground. "What did I do to deserve you?" I said as I pulled away.

She just shrugged. "Have fun. Be careful," she winked as she tossed the keys to me.

Jeremy was smiling too and he walked past me to the car, obviously just as excited as I was. He got into the passenger seat and I took my time sitting down into the driver's seat, enjoying every minute. Jeremy informed me that we were going to the mall to pick out a new outfit for the party, compliments of Caroline's credit card. I shouldn't have been surprised but I was nonetheless.

Three hours later we had combed the mall back and forth for the perfect ensemble, Jeremy being perfectly patient with me and even offering occasional style advice. Afterwards we ate lunch at my favorite bistro on Main Street, then finally we returned home. By the time we got home I was ecstatic from the endorphins of my incredible day and I knew that it was only just beginning.

When I opened the door I was not the least bit surprised to find that Caroline had outdone herself once again. Streamers and balloons filled the house from the foyer to the kitchen and tables and chairs were arranged perfectly throughout. My favorite band's latest CD flowed through the speakers in the living room that she had placed strategically around the room and she stood in the entrance to the kitchen, arms open and palms facing upwards.

"Well?" She smiled, turning in a circle as if displaying the house.

"Have I told you that you're the best?" I walked towards her, shopping bags in hand.

"I don't think so," she teased. "Now go get ready, everyone will be here in an hour."

Before I could go any further she stopped me by the shoulders and spun me around, marching me up the stairs to my room. I laughed, thankful to have such an amazing friend in my life.

It took me exactly an hour to get dressed and ready, and by the time I put the finishing touches on my makeup and gave one last twirl of my new dress in the mirror I could hear the doorbell ringing. I walked down the stairs, feeling much like a girl in the movies getting ready to leave for prom. Bonnie, Claire, and Ryan stood in my foyer, whistling and cheering as I descended. I played along, giving them another twirl as I reached the bottom step then I hugged them all just as another group of four friends walked through the front door.

Half an hour later everyone had arrived and we all settled into different areas of the downstairs, laughing and catching up as we always did. Several different people told me that I looked happier than I had in weeks and I had to admit it was the truth - this was the best birthday I could have asked for. Jenna had told Caroline and I that she would chaperone if any of our friends wanted to drink a few wine coolers, only if they promised to stay at our house for the night. We came to the mutual agreement quickly that drinking was out of the question and thankfully we all managed to entertain ourselves with games of Truth or Dare and Never Have I Ever sober for hours.

Around 8:30 the boys started to filter out of the party and the few close girlfriends that remained insisted I open presents. After opening a few new CD's, a handful of amazing jewelry (including an engraved heart necklace from Caroline), and a diary from Jeremy, my friends began to dissipate until only Caroline remained.

"This was the best birthday ever. Thank you so much Care," I hugged her for the third time in an hour and she assured me for the third time that it was nothing. "I'm sorry about yesterday," I said quietly, unable to hold it in any longer.

Her smile faded and she lowered her eyes to the floor. "Me too," she said, and I knew that that meant this subject would be better left alone for now.

A few minutes later Caroline left as well, after I promised her that I didn't need her to spend the night "like old times". I had other plans for myself this evening and it was getting late. I changed into jeans and a sweater and told Jenna where I was going, then started out the front door.

"Wait," Jenna called behind me, small box in hand.

"What is this? No more presents, Jenna. It's going to get to my head," I joked with a smile. My smile faded as I saw the look in Jenna's eyes and I stared at her anxiously, becoming nervous.

"I don't want to upset you, but," she took a deep breath and opened the box. Inside was a smaller box that I recognized instantly it must be more jewelry. She flipped the top of the smaller box and my jaw dropped open. Inside was a silver ring, expertly crafted into a large heart in the center with two smaller hearts on either side. Diamonds lined the outsides of all three hearts and a large solitaire stood out in the middle of the largest heart.

"Jenna..." I stammered, breathless. The ring must have cost a fortune and I knew that she couldn't afford it.

"It was your mother's. Her engagement ring," as she spoke I could hear her voice becoming hoarse and I knew she was getting choked up. "The diamonds and the band, I mean. I had the jewelry store make this ring out of hers. One heart for your mom and dad, one for you, and one for your brother."

Jenna had taken the ring out of the box and I stared at it as she laid it into my palm, speechless. "I don't know what to say," I said quietly, "Thank you."

"Put it on," she smiled, encouraging me with a nod of her head.

I grasped it between my fingers lightly and slowly slid it onto the ring finger on my right hand. It fit perfectly. "It's incredible," I gasped.

"So are you," Jenna stepped forward and kissed the top of my head. "Now get out of here before I lose it."

I smiled warmly at her, filled with love and adoration for my amazing aunt. Taking her advise, I exited the house and headed towards my car. The air was colder and drier than it had been all year and I wondered if the forecast might be correct; perhaps my birthday would be a white one after all.

I knew the way to the cemetery by heart, having visited nearly every day over the summer. I had cut my visits down to about once a month since school started back, and with all of the drama going on for the past couple of months it had been quite a while since I had visited last. Tonight there was no place I would rather end my birthday than with my parents, in whatever way I could get them.

Mine was the only car in the parking lot; I was always a little freaked out visiting the graveyard at night, tonight especially. Luckily there were lights scattered throughout and I always brought my flashlight and cell phone, just in case. This time I also carried a blanket from my trunk. I found my way to my parents' plot easily and sat down in the middle, as always. I wrapped my blanket around myself and stared down at the ring Jenna gave me, my new favorite possession.

I had never been one to talk out loud to my parents when I visited (frankly, the sound of my own voice frightened me a little in the darkness), but I imagined that they could hear my thoughts and I replayed the day's events in my mind, smiling contently the entire time.

I had been sitting for what felt like hours when I heard leaves crackling in the distance. I jumped up, scared to death, looking around for any sign of life. Finally a figure emerged over the hill from the parking lot and in the darkness I could barely make out that this was the body of a man. When he finally stepped into the pool of a streetlight I thought instantly that I must have fallen asleep and been dreaming.

"Damon?" I whispered loudly; somehow it felt strange to raise my voice above a whisper in the cemetery and once again hearing my own voice gave me a chill, despite the blanket wrapped around my shoulders.

"Hey, I didn't mean to scare you," it was him; and just when I thought my day couldn't get any better.

"How did you know I was here?" I asked as he approached. He stopped in the walkway between the graves, almost as if it would be impolite to invade my parents' space.

"Jenna told me," he looked as incredible as ever - dark blue jeans, black leather shoes, and a black jacket zipped up to his neck, hands in his pockets and that smile on his face.

"You went to my house?" I couldn't avoid smiling at the gesture, hoping that maybe it meant more than just a friendly birthday visit.

"Yeah," he nodded, eyes fixed to the ground. "I wanted to tell you happy birthday."

"You could have called," I said, more as a hopeful realization to myself than as a strike at him, but I knew it must have come out sounding like the latter.

"I could have," he lifted his eyes to meet mine and what I saw there was what I had been hoping to see for weeks - forgiveness. "I thought seeing you might mean more. I'm sorry to intrude, if you want to be alone..."

"No," I interrupted, unwilling to let him leave already. "I'm glad you're here."

"I come here a lot too," he said quietly, motioning with his head to an area in the distance. I turned around and looked where he was staring, knowing full well that the Salvatore plot was just on the other side of the path. I nodded in understanding and we fell silent. "Can we talk?" He suggested finally, looking around at the scenery.

I understood what he meant; this was not the appropriate place for the conversation we needed to have and I lead him down the pathway to a clearing under a tree. The tree was bare and ominous, another creepy reminder that we were in a graveyard. A few seconds passed and neither of us said a word, making the mood become awkward very quickly. Finally to break the ice I spoke, "I thought you were leaving town?"

"I was," he chuckled at some private joke, "But for some reason this place seems to keep pulling me back."

"Anything special keeping you here?" I really was curious but I knew that it sounded like a shameless ploy to get a confession out of him and I wished more than ever for a verbal backspace button.

His expression remained soft and complacent, but his eyes indicated that he was slightly surprised by my question. "A few things," he said, and the sideways smile that followed warmed me from head to toe. Seeing my body language change, his smile faded and he regained his serious composure. "Listen Elena, I've been thinking a lot about everything. About you, about what happened, about whether or not I can ever move past it..." The mention of 'what happened' froze my insides again as if someone had reached in and turned off the heater, and I pulled the blanket tighter around me to disguise my discomfort. "What pisses me off more than anything is that I made you feel like you needed another guy to feel wanted," he continued.

I stopped him instantly, knowing that he was about to start blaming himself for what happened. "It's not your fault, Damon. What I did was stupid, it was a mistake and I'm sorry," I pleaded.

"I wasn't the man I should have been for you," he continued, ignoring my interjection, "I shouldn't have asked you to keep us a secret. I should have been proud to tell everyone about you, and I should have told my brother sooner before it got out of control. I should have been there for you that day. But I wasn't, and he was. How can I hold that against either of you? I'm the one who messed up," he stepped closer to me and I could feel my pulse quicken. A cold wind was blowing and the scent of his cologne consumed my senses. I breathed it in as if I had been without oxygen for weeks, hoping he would not notice.

As badly as I wanted to stop him and make him take it all back, I could not help but feel like this might be what Damon had to tell himself to get over what had happened. Part of it was true, but I hated that he put all the blame on himself - the decision had ultimately been my own. "Are you saying you're not mad at me anymore?" I asked, desperate for him to stop reliving the pain.

"Hell yes I'm mad," he answered, eyebrows raised. But as quickly as the words left his mouth his face returned to genuine concern and he smiled softly, "But I'm not mad at you. I'm mad that I ever pushed you far enough away that you needed another guy to pick up my slack. I don't want that to happen again," as he spoke he took another step closer,

I blinked, fighting a mixture of excitement, nerves, and confusion. I needed clarity and I needed to hear him say that everything was going to be okay. "What are trying to say, Damon?"

"What I'm saying is," he reached his hands up and placed them on the sides of my face just below my ears. I stared at him, waiting to hear the words come from his lips. "Maybe I didn't make this very clear before, but I'm telling you now and I'm only going to say this once. Elena, I don't want to share you with anyone else ever again. You're mine, and if anyone has a problem with that I'll be sure it's the last problem they ever have."

I was certain that in that moment my heart stopped beating. I was still not entirely convinced that this conversation was not something I had imagined, or that he really was not intending to throw in a 'Just kidding, fuck you' at any moment. I stood motionless, wondering how I would ever get back to the way I felt earlier in the day if he did intend on leaving me after this.

"It's going to take some time to get back to where we were and I want to take it slow," he continued, obviously feeling the need to elaborate to silence the confusion that must be written across my face, "But I can't be without you. I want to do things right this time. I want to be us again and I want everyone to know it."

I realized how strange I must look, but I could not find any words to respond. I could feel my hands reaching up to hold his against my cheeks and I figured this was my subconscious attempt to make certain his touch was real. The heat from his body resonated through my face and I closed my eyes briefly, taking it in. "You have no idea how badly I've wanted to hear you say that," I confessed, letting the words fall effortlessly from my lips without hesitation.

"I'm guessing just as badly as I've wanted to say it," he was whispering now and when my eyes opened I wanted nothing more than to feel his lips on mine.

As if reading my thoughts, he leaned down at the exact moment that I leaned forward and when our mouths touched I felt a shock flow through me that warmed every square inch of my body. I wrapped my arms around his back and gave myself entirely to the kiss, never wanting this moment to end for fear that he might change his mind.

When he finally pulled away the color had returned to his cheeks and the twinkle in his eye told me his guard had been let down again. He moved his right hand back to my face and I leaned my cheek against it, eyes closed again.

"Elena," he whispered, causing me to open my eyes and look at him. His expression was different than any I had recognized before and I was glad that he had a hold of me, fearing that if he let go I might lose my balance. His eyes searched mine for some semblance of approval. I leaned forward instinctively, waiting to hear the words I had dreamed of hearing come from his lips. Instead his expression changed and a hint of hesitation entered his gaze. "Happy birthday," He said, and although my heart ached to hear a different set of syllables I still could not hide my excitement that he was actually here with me.

"I guess I learned one thing today," I said, smiling happily up at him.

"What's that?" He replied, reaching down to pull my blanket tighter around me in a comforting gesture that made my stomach turn flips again.

"Birthday wishes do come true," he looked at me with a sudden desire filled with pent up longing and he pulled me close again, kissing me with much more ferocity than before. As I ran my fingers through his hair, taking note to remember how every inch of him felt underneath my skin, I felt cold wet drops on my hands and forehead and we pulled away from one another at the same time. Snow had begun to fall all around us in a sudden downpour, and at that moment I realized that standing there with Damon in the graveyard where both our parents were buried, under a terrifyingly eerie oak tree, wearing muddy sneakers and an over-sized blanket, I had never felt so much like a fairytale princess.

As we resumed our embrace, now covered in snow and water, I could only think how fortunate it was that the weather knew exactly how I felt.


	38. Chapter 38

The snow continued to fall in heavy sheets, making it difficult for Damon to see Elena's car ahead of him. He had insisted on following her home to ensure she got there safely in the weather. During the drive he considered the option that she might ask him to stay the night once they arrived; he weighed the pros and cons over and over with no final decision made by the time they pulled into her driveway. He watched as she got out of her car and ran to the covered front porch. She stopped and stared at his car, obviously waiting for him to join her. As he watched her through the falling snow he couldn't help but smile; this is where he should have been all along.

He turned off his car and exited, sprinting to join her on the porch. Once there he shook the snow out of his hair and off his jacket; she kept her eyes fixated on him the entire time, smiling and shivering. Finally he took her hands, rubbing them between his own to create enough friction for warmth. "I'm glad I was your birthday wish," he teased, "Otherwise I might not have ever showed up tonight." She continued to smile, beaming with pride. In that moment he forgot briefly that they had been apart for so long; things felt normal and effortless, and he wanted to be able to feel like this every second he was with her. As she spoke again he was brought back to the reality of the situation that had gotten them here and he was reminded it would not be that easy.

"Do you want to come in?" She asked shyly, looking away as she spoke but returning her gaze to his after she finished.

He had expected the question but still had no response prepared. He wanted to hold her in his arms all night, to fall asleep and wake up beside her - but he had a very difficult time considering the option when the first thing he pictured was her doing the same with his brother. "I don't know, it's late," he said, but his eyes told the real story.

"You can't drive home in this weather. It's just getting worse," She scolded; the perfect excuse.

He smiled, impressed by her determination. "Do you have a guest bedroom?" He asked as a formality, just in case.

Her eyebrows shot upwards but after a moment she sighed and nodded, "Yes. Look Damon, I know it's going to take a while for you to trust me again," She continued, moving her hands to the outside of his, "But I'm going to do whatever it takes to show you that I'm sorry and that I know what I want now."

He wanted so badly to believe her, and in most ways he did - but this did not change the past and he was glad that she realized it would take him some time to be able to get around those feelings. As he studied her expression, torn and desperate, he decided that the only option he had was to take a leap of faith. "I trust you," he said finally, finishing the sentence in his head with: _What choice do I have?_

Elena unlocked the front door and pushed it open slowly, obviously hoping that everyone inside would be asleep. Much to their dismay Jenna sat on the couch reading a book, and when she saw Elena's visitor she stood up abruptly.

"I didn't know you were having company," She said, but what she meant was 'What the hell is he doing here again?' and both Elena and Damon knew it.

"I didn't either," Elena smiled up at Damon as if Jenna were not even in the room and she reached for his hand, a not-so-subtle way of telling Jenna what had happened in the few hours she had been gone.

"It's late, Elena. I don't know if it's a good idea to-" Jenna's face read genuine stress and Damon felt very out of place.

"Jen, I'm eighteen now. If you don't want us to stay here we can go to Damon's house. But I think we would all feel much better if he just stayed here," Elena rationed, tightening her grip on Damon's hand.

Damon had never seen this side of her before and he had to admit, he was entirely turned on by her insistence. However, he still couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that he was an older, dangerous man standing in the foyer of a high school girl's house fending off the valid discomfort of her guardian. He wanted to intervene to defend his presence, but Elena had been right - she was eighteen now and there was no need for explanation.

Jenna stared at the two of them for another minute, her face tightening more and more with each passing second. "I hope you two are being safe," she said, mostly to embarrass them.

"Oh my God, Jenna!" Elena spun around so that Jenna would not see how red her face had turned and she pulled Damon up the stairs behind her angrily.

As they walked into Elena's room he took a good look around. He had never been in her room before and he was a firm believer that a person's space was the best indicator of their personality. The walls were a pale yellow, same as the rest of the house. She had a Queen sized bed and her comforter and sheets were solid white. The bed had an abundance of pillows, mostly hot pink in different shapes and sizes. On the walls were framed band posters and an occasional inspirational quote. One wall had a cork-board with a large calendar with days past crossed off and frowny faces next to future events like "math test". Around the calendar were dozens of pictures of Elena and her friends, mostly Caroline. On the dresser sat a large, intricate jewelry box with a lock, surrounded by pictures of her parents and brother. Her latest cheerleading picture sat closest to where he stood and he picked it up, smiling at her innocence.

"Stop," Elena was borderline blushing as she grabbed the picture out of Damon's hand, returning it face down on the dresser. "I don't even feel like the same person I was when that was taken. And it was only a few months ago," she said nostalgically, concern showing on her face.

"You're not," Damon replied quickly, not entirely sure what he meant by it. Elena looked at him inquisitively, obviously wondering the same. Undoubtedly the elephant in the room would not be avoided for long, and as Damon came to this realization he sat down on Elena's bed, patting the space next to him. "Not that there aren't a million other things I'd rather be doing with you on this bed," he began, lightening the tense mood, "But I think we still need to talk. Work through all this so it doesn't come up again."

She nodded, sitting cautiously on the bed next to him as if she knew she was about to accept her punishment.

"I've been thinking about what I wanted to hear," he continued, visibly unhappy about the topic, "But I figured out that what I want to hear and what I need to hear probably aren't the same things. I need you to be completely honest with me, Elena. I want to do this now so we never have to talk about it again. Maybe I'll get pissed off all over again, but I think it's necessary if we're going to move past it," he paused and Elena nodded, her expression growing more and more nervous with each second that passed, "Tell me everything. Tell me what happened, tell me what you were feeling, tell me why... Why Stefan?"

The sudden onslaught of impossible questions caused Elena to lean back in shock, bewildered and wondering how she would ever answer the questions that she had not even wanted to ask herself over the past several weeks. She looked away from Damon and down to her bedroom floor, the same spot she had stared at many nights pondering her actions and trying to figure out what had happened to the naive, sensitive little girl she was before; what had caused her to turn into the person she had suddenly become? This was ultimately what Damon wanted to know, and as she prepared to unleash her suppressed thoughts she took one last, deep breath.

"I guess it all comes down to...I don't know who I am anymore. After my parent's accident I felt so empty - this shell of a person, not wanting to let go of who I was before but needing to be someone different at the same time. Stefan represents that for me; that moment when everything changed. He was there that night, and after it didn't feel right going back to my old life. He was my new life, my new identity. And then you came along..." She lifted her gaze from the carpet to look at Damon, fully aware that her emotions were on display and for once not worried about hiding the truth, "You deal with things differently than anyone I've ever met. You've had a shitty life, worse than mine. And here I was moping about it, and there you were, just living. You don't care what people think about you and you do what you want. No rules, no guidelines. I guess I realized that I was so much more like Stefan, and I started to hate him for it. After that night you and I hung out I felt different, like I had found my place and that maybe I didn't want to be so much like Stefan - maybe I wanted to be more like you. I've never cheated on anyone, but you made me fearless. I felt invincible. I don't regret that, Damon, but that was my first mistake. I'm not invincible."

"I never wanted you to change, Elena. I liked you the way you were. You should never want to be like me, I've made all those mistakes and it's no way to live," Damon interrupted, unable to let her continue without voicing his disapproval.

"I know. Apparently I had to make them too," she shrugged, and he realized she was right; if he had listened to the adults in his life when he was a teenager he would never be the person he is today, and although he may still make unhealthy decisions, he became a different person after learning from his mistakes once before as well. She was quiet for a few more seconds before finally picking back up, "When I thought I was losing you I tried to get that feeling back, that feeling that I was invincible. I waited for you that night, and every minute that you weren't there made me feel more like the empty shell I was before. Stefan was there again, just like last time. He's always there...And I thought that meant something, I thought that meant that he was there to save me again. I do love him, Damon," Elena confessed, and the look on Damon's face nearly made her stop. He was silent, still watching her intently. "But it took that night for me to realize that I don't love him for the right reasons. I don't love him for the way he makes me feel, I love him for the way I make him feel. I needed that feeling that night, but that's not who I am. I could blame it on the alcohol, but that just gave me the courage to do what I thought I wanted in the first place. It took me weeks to realize that I can be my own person without you or Stefan. But when it comes down to it, the guy I want by my side is you," as the words continued to flow, Elena thought how it must appear that she had planned this entire confession down to the last word. In reality she was speaking from her heart, letting the words rise to the surface and cascade out of her with no filter and no hesitation.

Damon's expression remained unsettled but he finally looked away from her, indicating that he knew she was finished speaking. She allowed him a few minutes to reflect silently but with each passing second she became more and more nervous about what his response might be. This confession had been honest; it was her heart speaking and if he rejected those feelings she was not sure how they would ever be okay again. After this, there was nothing more she could say to explain herself and if this wasn't the explanation he was seeking she was sure she would never have the solution.

Finally he raised his head again and turned to her, displaying a look that indicated he had his own confession to make. "I thought I wanted to hear that you didn't love him, that you were just using him to piss me off. But I guess that's not what I want. If it were any other guy..." he trailed off, lost in another thought inside his head, "I understand why you feel that way about him. He's your constant, I've just been a variable. But I need to tell you something, while we're being honest," now Elena looked at him with a confused stare and her nerves were evident in her body language. "The night of your parent's accident... I was there too. I had been, uh," he searched for the best way to describe what he had been doing that night, but realized he still wasn't even sure himself why he had been at the bridge, "I was a loose cannon. We had just gotten back in town and being here was a lot harder on me than it was on Stefan. And then there was Trey. That night I was at the bridge, I had... I had jumped in the water," as he spoke Elena's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "I wasn't trying to... I was just being stupid," he looked away and ran his hand through his hair in frustration, hating the way this must make him appear, "I know what you mean about wanting to feel invincible. I felt it that night," his eyes met hers again and the look there conveyed his point, that he understood more than she knew what it felt like to lose control of your emotions and act impulsively, "And I know what you mean about Stefan always being there. He was there for me that night too. Honestly, I don't know what would have happened if he wouldn't have been there. He's always been that guy."

"So why didn't you stay? Why didn't you help?" Elena could not help but ask, fearing that the answer might change the way she felt about her prince charming but needing to know anyway.

"We were already halfway back to the cars. We heard the noise and I wanted to go back with him, but he wouldn't let me. He didn't want me involved with the police after what happened with Trey, and he was right. I was a mess that night, Elena. There's no telling what I would have said to them. It was too risky. I've told you before and I'll tell you again; I'm not the man Stefan is. I've got a lot of demons and I don't handle situations the way I should. I'm working on it, and you've made me a better person... If you can believe that," he smiled, referencing the stupid decisions he had made since he met Elena and hoping that she understood what he had done the past couple of months was nothing compared to the way he used to be. However, he knew that his life was about to change again with his new endeavor and he wanted to feel her out, to see if she was planning on sticking by him when he showed his true colors. "But what I'm trying to tell you is... I'm not going to change who I am. I may not make the same mistake twice but I'm probably going to make new ones. I have a different agenda than my brother. Different goals. You may not always agree with them."

Elena stared at Damon for several seconds, trying to read between the lines and asking herself if this is really what she wanted. It appeared to her she had two options ahead of her: the safe path or the risky path. She had always been the type of person who played it safe, but so far all it had gotten her was into was a confusing situation. She had chosen the safe brother and ended up ruining it with her own risky decisions. In life, she had learned, without risk there are typically no rewards.

"I never wanted you to change. I just needed to know that you were there," She replied, hoping that he believed her. Most of all she needed to believe it herself.

"I'm here now," he said, taking her hand. He felt that she was being sincere but he still wondered if both of them really knew what they were getting into. In that moment he did not care to think about what the future might hold; he had her here now, and he was finished talking about what had happened in the past. "I want to get in bed with you, and I want to hold you, I want to feel your skin on me," he whispered, tracing her cheek with his thumb. He watched as her eyes closed and she appeared to visibly melt into his touch; as much as he loved having this effect on her, it wasn't time yet and he knew it. "But instead I'm going to sleep in your guest room, and we'll see how we feel about all of this in the morning."

Elena opened her eyes and let out a stifled groan of disapproval. "So this is my punishment?"

"No punishment," he laughed, standing up before he changed his mind, "Just taking it slow, remember?"

"Right," She sighed and stood up beside him. "Come on."

Elena walked past Damon visibly upset and out into the hallway. The light was still on downstairs but upstairs was eerily quiet. She tried to remain as silent as possible as she led Damon down the hall to the guest bedroom, hating that its exact location was right next door to the room Jenna slept in. She opened the door and turned the light on, hit with an abrupt memory of her mother's decorating technique. She smiled as she recalled teasing her mom about the blue checkered comforter.

"Welcome to your humble abode for the night," she gestured to the room with a swipe of her arm, still managing to convey to Damon her frustration with his choice of rooms.

He laughed as he watched her dignity crumble before him, once again relishing in the feeling he got out of having so much control of her emotions. It was selfish, he knew, but he couldn't deny the fact that he had been worried she felt this way about someone else; seeing that nothing had changed validated his reason for wanting to feel it all again. When all was said and done, he understood Elena's sudden desire to feel in control of someone else more than she would ever know. He could only hope that her desire was fleeting.

In some ways, standing here with Elena denying her the one thing he knew she wanted more than anything else in that moment felt a little like revenge; he had not considered that he ever wanted revenge in any way, but now that the situation had lent itself to a tiny morsel he couldn't help but feel a little more like the scales were evening out in his mind.

Still smiling, he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him abruptly. He could feel her relax and when she finally returned a smile he kissed her deeply, partly for himself and partly to remind her what she had been missing. "Thank you for your hospitality, ma'am. This room will be just fine," he teased, still inches from her lips. When her eyes shot upwards in a glare that nearly made him laugh out loud he kissed her again quickly and said, "Happy birthday, Elena. Good night."

As he stepped away from her and motioned with his eyes towards the bedroom door Elena suddenly understood what was happening; although maybe this had not started out as punishment, it had escalated there quickly and it was certainly working. She wanted nothing more than to end her day in his arms, showing him how much she had missed him and wanting only to remember his touch and no one else's. Instead she mumbled good night and exited the room, closing the door behind her.

By the time she crawled into her own bed she knew she would not be able to shut down her brain; he was so close, yet still felt so far away and in some ways this feeling was worse than when he had been gone altogether. She needed him to give himself completely to her again and knowing that she would have to work for it felt suddenly like a challenge; but then again, she reminded herself, this was just one more reason the risky path is always more exciting.

...

In the morning Damon said goodbye to Elena as the sun rose and he snuck out unnoticed. Snow covered the ground and the roads were filled with slush so he made his way home very slowly, nostalgic at times about the way that he could still smell her perfume on his clothes. He considered whether or not he had made the right decision about sleeping in a different room, fighting a twinge of regret about the possible missed opportunity. In the end he decided he had done the right thing and that hopefully there would be plenty of other times to fall asleep beside her; there were more important things to work out in their relationship before sex got involved again. Telling others about their once secret romance, for example, would need to be tackled quickly.

The first battle was moments away; Damon knew this, and by the time he pulled into his driveway the high from the night before had left him and he was grounded again by the reality of what lay ahead. He entered the house hoping that Stefan would still be asleep, but something told him it would not be that easy.

Much to his dismay, his brother was standing in the kitchen as he entered, drinking a cup of coffee and looking at the contents of an envelope that lay on the counter before him. Damon knew it was best not to beat around the bush and he did not try to disguise the trepidation on his face as he greeted Stefan in the doorway of the kitchen. "Morning. You're up early," he said, not even bothering to smile.

Stefan looked up from the letter in his hand and the second he saw his brother's face his own expression fell at first to confusion, and then changed to one of bemused understanding. Without hesitation he said, "You were with her last night, weren't you?"

Damon could not believe how quickly his brother had picked up on his signals and he was quiet at first, considering the best way to approach the topic. He finally settled on a simple, "Yes," and continued to search his brother's face for some semblance of approval.

Instead Stefan simply shook his head, returning his attention to his letter and sipping casually on his steaming coffee. "So I guess this means you're moving back in," he said, his voice lacking any emotion.

Damon had not really considered that possibility yet, but now that Stefan brought it up it seemed rather obvious what the answer would be. "I guess it does," he replied quietly, still waiting for some reaction - _any_ reaction from his brother.

"You'll have to remember to lock all the doors at night. I know you've never been good at that kind of thing. And the thermostat upstairs gets stuck, you have to turn it a certain way to get it to work. I'll show you before I leave," Stefan set his coffee down on the counter and folded the letter in his hand, stuffing it back inside the envelope.

"Leave?" Damon's eyes widened; this is not something he had prepared for. "Where are you going?"

Stefan looked at his brother as if the answer were obvious and he was bothered by the waste of a question. "I'm going to stay with Rick and Karen after graduation. I might be back after Christmas. I haven't decided yet."

Rick and Karen were the parents of the family that Stefan had spent his last few years in foster care with. They were incredible; picture perfect, and Damon never understood why Stefan ever left them to come with him to Mystic Falls in the first place. He could have gone to college; he could have really made something of his life, and as predicted Damon had only held him back. As much as he had wanted it for his brother then, things had changed since Stefan's eighteenth birthday and now this news felt more like betrayal than anything else ever could. He thought that he and his brother had grown closer after the accident; but now he finally understood that maybe what had happened with Elena really had forever changed the way they saw each other. Until this moment he had held on to hope that maybe this wasn't the case, but now it was clear. Stefan had lost all his faith in his older brother and he finally realized that he would be better off without him.

Stefan had obviously noticed the concern on Damon's face and he continued, "I just need to get away for a while. I'm not mad. But that doesn't make this any easier."

"You had already planned this," Damon observed out loud, "Before I even came home this morning and told you..."

Stefan laughed uneasily, "I planned this the second you told me you loved her. Love for a girl isn't something we can share, Damon. And she's already made her choice," with that Stefan exited the room, brushing against his brother's shoulder with his own as he passed. The contact between them served as a subtle reminder to both men that they had never been so far apart.


	39. Chapter 39

Caroline wasn't quite sure what she was doing. She had successfully managed to avoid all four of Klaus' calls on Saturday while preparing for Elena's party, but on Sunday morning when she woke up to a barrage of text messages begging for a chance to explain she had reached her willpower's limit. Finally she agreed to meet him at a coffee shop on Main Street to hear him out; but as she sat in the parking lot waiting for him to arrive she kept the car in gear and her foot on the brake, unsure whether to stay or go. She had been entirely too confused ever since Friday night's discovery and quite frankly, she did not even want to think about all of the information she had learned about her new beau, let alone have to make a decision about her feelings for him.

All too soon she watched his Camaro pull into the parking lot, turning into a spot a few cars down from her own. Hands still on the wheel, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them she could see that he was standing behind his car now, and she was instantly reminded why she had been so attracted to him in the first place. His demeanor was nothing short of casual, but he managed to appear as if he could solve all of her problems with one night behind closed doors. She knew now that the 'bad boy' vibe she had picked up the day they met had been entirely spot on, but she had never really dated anyone who actually had a reputation that preceded him and she couldn't decide if it turned her on even more, or made her want to run the other direction.

After a few seconds had passed she finally shook the nerves out with a roll of her neck and she threw the car into park. She got out as gracefully as she could manage and walked up beside him, trying to convey how angry she was despite the fact that she was here giving him a second chance. His signature smirk was missing and replaced with one laced with nerves. _It's an act_, she told herself, waiting for him to speak.

"Thanks for coming," he said, gesturing towards the front door. "Shall we?"

She spun around on her heel without saying a word and entered the store, not allowing him the chance to hold open the door for her. She ordered herself a grande vanilla latte with an extra shot of espresso and paid for it without even glancing in his direction. Before he had a chance to order his own she had taken a seat at the nearest table, pulling her phone out to appear occupied while she waited.

He was much slower ordering his drink than she had been, taking his time to browse the menu. By the time he had completed his order her coffee was ready, and he grabbed it from the barista before she had a chance to call out Caroline's name. He waited a few minutes for his own coffee to appear on the counter and finally he carried both cups to the table where she sat, sliding hers in front of her and already sipping on his own.

"Iced coffee in the middle of December? Wow, you really do live on the edge," she could not resist throwing a jab at him in attempt to shake him from his calm and collected manner.

He raised his eyes from his cup and finally the smile emerged, almost as if he were unable to keep it restrained any longer. "I guess I am dangerous after all," he said, playing along.

She fought the urge to smile at his playfulness and instead continued scrolling through her phone, feigning annoyance. "Well," she began, "Go on. Explain yourself."

"You don't beat around the bush, do you?" he was still smiling, but as her eyes met his again he finally became serious and leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. "I don't really know what you want me to tell you that I haven't said already. I'm sorry for not telling you that I knew your friend," he had a feeling that he would not get much further past this statement, and on cue she interrupted, slamming her phone down onto the table.

"_Knew my friend_?" she repeated sarcastically, "Kidnapped my friend - make that _two_ of my friends. Don't think I forgot about the role you people played in Matt's life this year. The poor kid's life is ruined, he dropped out of school to follow you around. Not to mention you blackmailed Jeremy, and oh - you also neglected to tell me your real name for an entire week. I'd say that classifies as important first date information."

Klaus' eyes widened at her sudden attack and he waited after she spoke to assure that she was finished venting. "Okay," he began finally, searching for which accusation to tackle first, "I've apologized to Elena for what happened that weekend. I've told you before, I don't take death of a family member very lightly and she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I never hurt her and that was never my intention. As for your friend Matthew; he was a lost boy already, we just brought it out in him," as he spoke her eyes squinted together tighter and her mouth remained pursed. He could tell by the fact that she had not interrupted that he still had her attention and that this might be easier than he imagined, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you my full name. But I didn't lie to you. I had every intention of telling you everything," now, he knew, _this_ was a lie, "I just wanted to wait for the right time."

"So the night that I introduce you to my friends, that was the right time? You could have planned it better. Surely someone as conniving as you would have known that Elena would be there and that she would never keep your secret," her arms remained crossed and she raised an eyebrow as if to challenge an explanation.

This is where Klaus had slipped up, and he admitted it readily to himself. Only when he saw Elena through the window at The Grille had he remembered she might be present that night. He had hesitated outside once he realized his miscalculation but ultimately decided that if his plan were going to progress, this was a necessary obstacle to face. He also misjudged Elena's kindness, hoping that perhaps she would keep his secret from her friend and that she would agree to let bygones be bygones.

"Everyone makes mistakes," he said simply, answering more accusation than one. At this point he knew he had done his part, and if Caroline were the type of girl he assumed she was then graveling any further would only push her away. She liked the chase, and he was more than willing to give her one. "But anyway, I don't expect you to forgive me. I know I fucked up any chance I might have had with you, but I just wanted to apologize in the event you might choose to remain friends."

Caroline blinked, confused by the way the conversation had suddenly turned. She had expected much more resistance to her anger and she had not prepared for him to end things before she did. "Uh, I don't know Nik. Klaus," she shook her head, flustered.

"You can still call me Nik, Caroline," he smiled convincingly at her and watched as her wall began to crumble before him. This was right where he intended to have her and he was not going to do anything to push his luck.

"I'll think about the friends thing," she continued, acting as if it had been her idea all along. She had no way to hurt him now that he had suggested an end to their strange relationship and she was not sure what else to say or do.

"That's all I can ask. I'll let you get back to your phone," he stood up from the table, coffee in hand. She watched him from her seat, mouth slightly open revealing her discomfort and confusion. "Enjoy the right of your night. If you'd like to talk, you have my number."

"O-Okay," she stammered, attempting to remain composed. There were a million things she had wanted to say to him but now they all felt irrelevant. She had planned on feeling at least some closure after this meeting, but now she was left wanting more than before. Before he turned away she looked down at the table and sipped her coffee, trying to appear as if she were not disappointed by how the meeting had turned out. She could see him walk off out of the corner of her eye and when she was sure he had exited she finally looked up, not bothering to hide the bewilderment on her face. "God," she said quietly, "Now what?"

...

I was very nervous on the drive to school Monday morning. I had been on edge all day Sunday after Damon had left, torturing myself with questions about whether or not he would come back and when was too soon to call, or if I should even call at all. I had so many unanswered questions about our new relationship (if I could even call it that) and I did not know where to begin.

I managed to avoid contacting him all morning and throughout most of the afternoon. He finally called before dinner and I desperately hoped he would tell me he was coming over again, or that he would suggest meeting somewhere. Instead he said he was calling to say hi, and we ended up talking about irrelevant bits and pieces of my academic and social life instead of any matter of significance. I was thankful for the chance to tell him about what had happened at The Grille on Friday with Klaus, but as soon as I finished the story he said he had to go before I could even get his input. Rather than stressing out about it, I remembered how he warned me that he had his own way of doing things and that even if I did not agree with them he wouldn't be changing any time soon. Although this did not provide too much comfort at the time, I managed to stop myself from worrying like I had always done in the past. This time I had to trust him, and I had a sneaking suspicion that I would have to pass that test before our relationship could progress any further.

I also knew that there were some matters I would need to take into my own hands in attempt to rectify my mistakes. This was the very reason I was so nervous this morning, and as I parked my car in the student lot I reminded myself that with any luck this would be the last apology I would need to make for what had happened that fateful night.

Stefan was standing by a light-pole across the lot near the sidewalk; I saw him the second I stepped out of my car. The short walk over to him felt like hundreds of miles and I was sure my feet were moving so slow on purpose, trying to persuade me to change my mind. He was bundled up in a heavy brown jacket and a tan scarf, not making much of an attempt to hide his displeasure.

"Hey," I greeted, voice shaky from the cold, "That's for meeting me."

"Yeah," he replied, eyes guarded, "What's up? What do you need to talk to me about?"

I could tell from his demeanor that he knew exactly what I wanted to talk to him about, but I had to start from the beginning nonetheless. "I feel like we never talked about what happened," I began, nerves turning to adrenaline to help get me through.

"What's there to talk about? You were pissed at my brother for being the dick that he is and you used me to get back at him," He never broke eye contact and his ruthlessness struck a fear in me; I had no idea he held so much contempt all this time and I wished instantly that we had talked sooner.

"Is that really what you think?" I turned my head slightly to the side, trying to see if the anger in his eyes stemmed from revenge or honesty. "You think that I used you to make Damon mad?"

Stefan's expression softened minutely but his answer remained stone-cold, "There's nothing to _think_, Elena. That's exactly what happened."

"No it's not, Stefan," I feared that this would be difficult, but so far it was worse than I had imagined, "Look, I know you don't believe me but I had my reasons for doing what I did. Mostly I needed to know what my feelings for you meant; if they still meant anything at all. I don't want you to think I didn't love you. I did, but being with you made me realize that I loved him in a different way," I knew Stefan would never really understand; no one would, but it was important to my emotional recovery that I get this off my chest. However, I hadn't asked Stefan to come here today to talk about my feelings. I needed to do this for both of them.

"You can't be in love with two people," he looked away and back again, obviously searching for something more to say.

"I know," I said quietly, nodding, "I guess I thought I could have you both. That was my biggest mistake. But things are different now. I know what I want. That's what I wanted to tell you. I'm sorry, and I wish I would have done things differently to get to where I am. But honestly Stef, I don't think I would have gotten here any other way," It was harsh, I knew. Stefan had no reason to ever forgive me, but Damon deserved to know that this time I was no longer confused.

"Collateral damage," Stefan let out a sarcastic chuckle and I wanted to cry all over again, seeing the mess I had made.

"I'm sorry," I reiterated, "I just wanted you to know that this isn't Damon's fault. He loves you Stefan, and everything he did before was to protect you. If you're going to blame anyone, blame me. And I need to make it clear this time that you can't wait for me anymore. You can't just keep being there. It's not fair to any of us, most of all you," It was time to be harsh, and if he hated me for it than so be it. This was for Damon, and I deserved every bit of scorn I received.

"So this is my fault?" He was laughing now, a mixture of anger and bewilderment, "I'm just there all the time, so you can't resist taking advantage of me?"

"That's not what I meant," I shook my head back and forth, resisting the urge to reach my hand out to place on his shoulder. As I began to retract the wording of my previous statement, I thought twice and sighed aloud. _Let him hate me,_ I reminded myself, _I'm the bad guy_. "I can't make you understand why I did what I did. But no, it didn't help that you were so easily accessible when I decided to take a trip off the deep end. You could have said no, you could have stopped me," as I spoke I realized that this was the first time I had ever considered placing any of the blame on Stefan. It sounded absurd in my head, but as the words reached him I could tell that they hit a soft spot and his agonizing, hateful smile dissipated to a frown. Obviously this was something he had considered on his own over the past few weeks.

"Look - I want to believe you Elena, I do. But I think it's best for everyone if we just continue not talking to each other. You're with Damon now, I get that. Trust me, what I said about waiting last time - it's officially retracted. I don't hate my brother for what happened between you. But it's easier if I keep hating you." With that he gave me one last painful look and walked away, leaving his words to echo inside my head.

I could tell that the statement felt worse for him to say than it did for me to hear, but I understood in that moment that this was how things had to be. Maybe Stefan didn't really hate me - but he was right, it's what we all needed to believe in order to move forward with our lives. If it meant that maybe the brothers could one day get their own relationship back to where it needed to be, I would gladly take the bullet a hundred times over. I had gotten us all into this mess and I would not stop until I had done my best to dig us back out.

...

"You didn't tell me she would be here," Damon slid a chair out from the table and sat down, face to face with two of his previous mortal enemies and suddenly struck by the irony of the situation.

"Aw, do I make you nervous Damon?" Rebekah winked maliciously at Damon and raised a glass of red wine to her lips, never breaking eye contact.

"Sure, Rebekah. Whatever you need to tell yourself to sleep at night," he smiled and winked in return, feeling much like their hatred for one another had become a normal, natural component of a life that was otherwise too unpredictable.

"Break it up, love birds. I didn't meet you here so you could flirt with my sister," Klaus interjected, finally breaking their staring contest.

"I didn't invite your sister here. I invited you. I thought we had an understanding about coming alone," Damon looked at Klaus now, leading on to more 'understandings' than one with his remark.

"She's vital to my plan. You two will need to learn to get along if this is going to be successful," Klaus replied, looking from Damon to his sister scornfully.

"If I'm going to continue to speak to you, you're going to need to learn what 'keep my family and friends out of it' means," Damon could not resist jumping right into the source of his displeasure and the reason he had asked Klaus to meet him here.

Klaus smiled knowingly but feigned ignorance, "What do you mean, Damon? I haven't told Stefan or Elena a thing."

"Screw you, dick," Damon glared, leaning forward against the table, "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Did you think that I wouldn't find out the girl you're fucking is Elena's best friend? Don't give me any bullshit about it being a coincidence either."

"Believe it or not, lover boy, it is just that. Caroline was in the way of my plan, I had to separate her from her boyfriend so he wouldn't be distracted. Not to mention I think she'll have a part to play in this yet. I'm keeping her around for good measure," Damon hated Klaus' wicked smile, but even more he hated his ability to dance around their agreement without actually breaking it.

"Leave her out of it," Damon knew his words would fall short of their target but he had to voice his displeasure. If Klaus really did want Damon's help he would at least have to consider his request.

"Funny," Klaus continued, ignoring Damon's comment and looking over at Rebekah, "When I took Caroline out last week, she told me this tragic story about her recent terrible experience with an older man. Oh, wait," he looked at Damon again and Rebekah smiled, knowing what was coming next, "You were the terrible experience."

Damon clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to reach across the table and strangle Klaus by the shirt collar. "I can leave now and we can be done with all of this. I don't need your help, I can fuck Lockwood's life up on my own."

Klaus laughed, casually sipping on a beer. "Now, now. Settle down, heartbreaker. I was just having a little fun. What are friends for, if not to tease one another?"

"Call me your friend one more time and I'll break every bone in your body," Damon was riled up now, and he was certain that was exactly what Klaus had been after. He counted to ten inside his head, waiting for the unwelcome feeling to disappear.

"Are you aware that Caroline's mother is the Sheriff?" Klaus continued, obviously realizing that he had pushed his limits.

Calmer now, Damon nodded and shrugged, "I guess. So what? Are you going to seduce her daughter into convincing her mom to arrest the mayor?"

"Not exactly," Klaus sat up and leaned forward, elbows on the table, "I'm going to build a case with all of the information and connections that I have here and in the city. Eventually it will come up during conversation, and I'll expose him piece by piece. Imagine the humiliation," his smile returned in a different format, and this time it actually provided some comfort for Damon's hesitation.

"So what do you need me for? And her," Damon nudged his chin in Rebekah's direction without looking at her, knowing this lack of respect would cause a reaction.

Without waiting for Klaus' response Rebekah sat up straight, eyes glared at Damon, "You should remember, sweetie. It wasn't long ago that I worked my magic on you."

"Enough," Klaus had his eyes closed and the tone of his voice was enough to distract even Damon from a comeback. "Humiliation isn't enough to pay for what he's done. He needs to know what loss feels like, and how it feels to have your family turn their backs on you," he continued. As the waitress came by the table to check on the party, Klaus stopped her with a hand on her arm, "Can you get my friend here a scotch on the rocks please, sweetheart?" He winked, causing the quiet brunette to turn fifty shades of pink.

Damon felt a strange feeling of acceptance at Klaus' gesture and his stance relaxed. "How do you plan on doing that?" he asked, hoping to shake off the gesture as a ploy and not look too far into it. The last thing he needed was to trust Klaus; all he really had at this point was himself, and he could not forget that no matter what.

"I don't," Klaus' eyebrows shot upwards and he lifted his beer to his lips, "That's your job. I'm not sure I trust you enough to divulge my entire plan just yet. For now, I want you to befriend our Mayor Lockwood."

Damon could not stifle his laughter and amusement at the absurdity of Klaus' request. "Befriend the mayor? Let's forget the fact that I've considered about ten different ways I could kill the man and possibly get away with it. What reason would the mayor of Mystic Falls have for hanging out with me?"

"He wants your forgiveness," Klaus answered matter-of-factly, as if he had known this for years, "He goes to your house at least once a month - just sits there. Wanting to go inside and talk to you and your brother, but being the pussy that he is never actually going through with it. That's where my brother found him that day; the day Lockwood attacked him in the park."

Damon's drink arrived right on time and he took a long swig as he tossed the idea around in his head. Part of him wondered if he was being played; a pawn in some sick game of chess between Klaus' family and Lockwoods - maybe he was being set up to take the blame if things went awry. But at this point he had no choice; the thought of revenge on the mayor had consumed his thoughts and he knew that he would never be able to move on with his life without dealing with his anger. Murder was obviously out of the question, although that thought had been present more than once since Damon found out all of this information. This might be the only chance he had, and if nothing else befriending the mayor could prove useful for his own betrayal later on without Klaus, if that's what he decided.

"Okay," he answered finally, "Then what?"

"Let's not be hasty," Klaus smiled, "One thing at a time."


	40. Chapter 40

The Mystic Falls Winter Festival was a tradition that stemmed back as far as any of the adults in town could remember. In the center of the event was a parade that stretched the length of Main Street downtown - the highlight of the year for most small businesses, school teams, and anyone of any significance at all. The Festival was always celebrated (ironically) at the end of Fall, as a farewell to the current season and a dramatic welcoming for the next.

Winter in Mystic Falls was kind of a big deal, considering our town had made the cover of many magazines for our display of Christmas spirit over the years. Here, snow was welcomed just as sunlight was at the beach and the fact that we had already had two decent snowfalls already this December told everyone that the town would be a Winter Wonderland before long.

Caroline and the cheerleading squad had been working on their float since the beginning of October, and as usual the final product was an intricate, showy display of MFHS affection sure to attract the eye of everyone in town. This was the first year since high school began that I had not played an integral part in decorating the float; it would also mark the first time in four years that I would be watching the parade from the crowd. Caroline had been begging for weeks that I join in on the festivities, despite my lack of participation in the squad all year. Something told me that this year I didn't deserve to be a model high school citizen representing my town, and I respectfully declined every invitation until finally she left it alone.

The day of the parade was always one of the most exciting days of the year for the citizens of Mystic falls, second only to Black Friday (the day that it was officially acceptable to begin decorating and preparing for Christmas). I had a long sweater dress picked out specifically for the occasion, and I took extra time and attention to bundle up with my heaviest jacket, scarf, hat, and gloves. I finished the outfit off with a new pair of boots and Jenna took Jeremy and I downtown around 9:00 in the morning; the earlier you arrived, the better standing position you earned in the crowd and our family had never minded waiting three hours if it meant securing the front row.

As we made our way through the streets to find the most acceptable viewing location, I looked around for any sign of Damon. We had planned to meet here to watch the Parade together, and he even promised that he would stay downtown afterwards and go out with all of my friends. Since my birthday a week ago we had only seen each other once, midway through the week for dinner at my house. We talked every day (mostly through text) but he had been even more distant than Saturday during our conversations.

At dinner on Wednesday I learned the source of his mood - Stefan was graduating in a few days and he planned on leaving town for a while. Of course I took the blame for this change in events and I felt terrible instantly. Damon assured me that they would be fine, they had talked and Stefan had decided that he just needed to be alone for a while. Ultimately Damon had come to terms with it and he agreed that it would be best for everyone, but he still couldn't help but feel as if he were suffering a loss in some way. After much coaxing I convinced him that getting out this weekend would be good for him, and he finally caved. Now all I could hope was that the Damon who woke up this morning was not the unpredictable, flaky man I had struggled to understand so many weeks ago.

Two hours passed and the crowd started to filter in in waves, until eventually the three of us were pushed up against the caution tape on the edge of the sidewalk lining the streets. The parade was set to begin in less than an hour, and I began to get an eerily familiar feeling that Damon would not be showing up as planned. I checked my phone for the third time in less than a minute and when I looked up I finally saw him.

He was across the street, standing behind the crowd of people in front of a store window. Although he was facing me, he was turning slightly to the side and appeared to be in the middle of a conversation. I leaned to the side, trying to peer around the large crowd gathered in front of him to see who he might be speaking to. I had to admit that when I saw Klaus standing there, for some reason I was not entirely surprised. Lately it appeared that he was always present, and only when I considered the look on Damon's face did I start to get concerned.

Knowing their history, I would have expected this conversation to be more of an argument than a casual exchange; however, Damon's brow was furrowed in interest, and the two men had begun to look around as if they were attempting to find someone together. Eventually Damon's line of sight landed on me, and when he noticed the apparent look of confusion on my face he put a hand on Klaus' shoulder, said something to him without breaking eye contact with me, and soon Klaus too looked in my direction. When he saw me he nodded and without hesitation he walked away, almost as if he were trying to appear as a passerby rather than the focal point of Damon's attention.

Damon made his way through the crowd, pushing his way to the front. I stared in disbelief, wondering if he really intended to cut across the street in front of all of the police officers and security guards that stood in his way. As he ducked under the caution tape I couldn't help but smile, wondering how someone like me had ever been fated to end up with a man who truly did not care what anyone else thought of him. He jogged casually across the street, holding a hand up to an officer who yelled for him to get back behind the tape. As he approached my side of the road his smile grew until finally he stood in front of me, still in the road on the opposite side of the line.

"Hey you," he said, reminding my heart what it felt like to skip a beat. Before crossing behind the tape he leaned down to place a gentle kiss on my lips and pulled away slowly, still smiling.

"Get over here," I pulled on his arm, looking over his shoulder at the officer who was beginning to head his direction.

He turned around and followed my gaze, finding the officer instantly. He waved jokingly to the cop before finally slipping under the tape. The officer stopped, shook his head and turned around, obviously deciding it wasn't worth his time. I giggled as Damon slid his arms around me, pulling me in for a hug. Beside me I could feel Jenna's stance become rigid and Jeremy moved away from my side, as if being so close to me while I hugged Damon had become suddenly awkward for him.

"I'm going to go find Matt," he said to Jenna, who nodded understandingly.

As Jeremy shrugged off through the crowd Damon turned his attention to my aunt, who had her back turned as she pretended to observe the formation of the floats at the end of the street.

"Hi Jenna," he said, his voice a feeble attempt at flattery, "You look stunning, as usual."

Jenna turned towards us slowly, all but rolling her eyes. "Damon," she said, "Good to see you again," she threw him a smile that was all too obviously forced and turned back around without waiting for a response.

Taking the cue that Jenna still did not feel comfortable with my choice in company, I turned to place myself in between she and Damon and rested my hands on his arms. I made certain to let the concern become apparent in my expression.

To my dismay he laughed and poked his bottom lip out mockingly. "What, babe? I ran into him and we chatted a bit, it's not like I signed a peace treaty."

"I told you what he's doing to Caroline," I knew I couldn't stay too mad - not when he had just used a term of endearment like 'babe', which he had never done before; but I had to admit I was very curious about the words that were exchanged. Damon didn't appear to be lecturing him like I would have hoped, and they certainly weren't fighting. It was far too casual of a conversation for my liking and I wondered briefly if Klaus' strange mediating powers had worked on Damon too.

"I talked to him about that," he said, his smile fading, "I don't think he's doing anything sneaky, Elena. Believe it or not. I think he might actually like her."

Something about his expression worried me, but I was not going to let Klaus ruin my day. Not this time.

As I looked up at Damon standing arms' length away, not bothering to avoid any type of public display of affection, I realized that this marked the first time that we had been out together in front of all of my peers as anything more than awkward acquaintances. All of my worries dispersed and I moved closer to hug him again, resting my head on his shoulder. "Okay," I said, and closed my eyes to enjoy the moment.

"Okay?" He repeated with a chuckle, "Is that all? No interrogation?"

I pulled away and smiled up at him, thankful to show him the new side of me. "Nope," I shrugged and the amusement on his face proved worth the torture I might put myself through later wondering what he and Klaus were really up to.

Cheering indicated that the festivities were about to begin, and I spun around in Damon's arms to face the street. He kept his arms wrapped around me and I felt warmer than I had all day as heat emanated from my insides out. A woman who I recognized from the local news station stood on a podium to the side of the first float the next street up, and she welcomed the crowd and spoke briefly about the tradition of the Winter Festival. After about five minutes she introduced Mayor Lockwood, as was customary to begin the ceremony. Behind me I could feel Damon shift from one foot to the other and his hands fell as he moved beside me, almost as if he were getting a closer look. I watched as his face showed little to no expression and his arms crossed over his chest, apparently bothered by something - or someone.

Once again I shook off the paranoia I had begun to feel and I listened as the mayor gave his speech, as always one-upping his speech from the previous year. This time he spoke of the importance of family and community, touching on the ability of our town to come together to help out its own in times of need. As he spoke I could feel him staring directly at me and I began to get embarrassed; I knew that everyone knew what he was referring to, and I looked away from the podium to search for somewhere else to focus my attention.

As my eyes scanned the crowd they once again landed on Klaus, who was standing a few feet away from where he had been before on the other side of the street. As soon as I looked at him his gaze turned from the podium to my direction, and I thought it entirely ironic that he had decided to look at me just as I looked at him. That is, until I looked up at Damon beside me and saw that he was making direct eye contact with Klaus as well, wearing an identical expression. Seeing me look at him, Damon immediately looked down at me and put an arm around my shoulder, pulling me against him. He kissed the top of my head and I watched his attention return to the mayor. I looked back at Klaus, who was still staring this way - this time definitely at me, and I could have sworn I saw him smile before he turned away. He leaned back against the wall he stood in front of, putting a foot up and tilting his head back. He took out his cell phone as if he were suddenly bothered by the festivities going on around him.

Soon the mayor had finished his speech and cut the ribbon that symbolized the release of the floats, and the podium was wheeled away behind him into the crowd. Music from the marching band began to play and the floats proceeded down the street, the inhabitants boasting and enjoying their fifteen minutes of fame. When the MFHS cheerleaders passed by I cupped by hands around my mouth and screamed loudly, noting how natural Caroline looked in the spotlight. I wondered briefly if I had looked that natural in years past, but knew that as nervous as I had always been there was not much of a chance of me looking anything less than awkward.

After half an hour the parade was over and the crowd began to file out into the street as the caution tape was lowered. There were vendors and a stage set up on Trade Street a blocks over, and this is where everyone would be heading for phase two of the Festival. Jenna informed us that she was going to meet up with her boyfriend near the stage and we said our goodbyes.

Damon stood beside me with his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth almost nervously. I knew how out of his element he must feel, being in the public eye in a town that knew every nook and cranny of his family history. It made me appreciate his effort even more, and I wanted so badly to take him away from here to a secluded bar where he felt safe - but today was important to my friends and I, and I knew that we would get through it soon. I slid my arms under his and around his sides, looking up at him proudly and not caring one bit about the dirty looks I had begun to receive from parents and neighbors.

"We have to wait here for Caroline, I promised we'd meet her before we went to Trade. Is that okay?" I asked with the most adoring smile I could manage.

He smiled back, his facade of normalcy shining through the nerves, "Yes babe, it's fine. They do have alcohol over there, right? I'm going to need a few drinks if I'm going to be able to handle this socializing thing."

I giggled and leaned up to kiss him. "Yes _babe_, plenty of alcohol," I said, and just as my feet flattened to the ground I heard Caroline's voice calling my name. I turned towards the sound and saw her skipping towards me, bundled in a large jacket over her cheerleading sweats. Her hair was pulled up in a tight ponytail and her face sparkled with glitter and sweat. "You did amazing," I told her as I met her for a hug.

"Thanks, Lae. But it wasn't the same without you," she frowned and looked from me to Damon, then back again. Her eyes widened as if to convey to me that she was getting ready to attempt something astronomically out of character, and then she whipped on her famous charming smile. "Hey Damon, nice to see you. It's been a while," she made her way towards him and much to my surprise she hugged him, pulling away quickly as if lingering any longer might cause her to catch a terrible virus.

Damon seemed just about as shocked as I had and when she stepped away his eyes were as large as hers had been. He narrowed them almost instantly and returned the smile, "Too long, if you ask me," he said, and I was certain he was being sarcastic.

I couldn't handle the tension any longer and I intervened, "You ready to head over that way, Care?"

"Sure," she wrapped her arm around mine, making sure to pull me away from Damon as we walked. "So was I really okay? I was so nervous this year. I was only Junior Captain before. This time everything comes down on me if it went terrible," she rambled, as always.

"You were great, I promise. The best," I assured her. As I looked at her to see her take in the compliment I noticed her expression shifting and a frown emerged. She stopped dead in her tracks and pulled me to a stop beside her.

"Great," she muttered, and I turned my attention ahead.

Klaus stood on the corner of one of the side streets that connected Main to Trade, leaning against yet another wall and still playing on his phone. This time it was obvious that he was waiting for someone, and when he noticed the three of us en route he slid his phone in his pocket and continued to stare, straightening up and running a hand over the back of his head.

"We can go another way," I said, tugging on Caroline's sleeve.

"No," she shook her head and sighed deeply, "I'm okay. Give me a minute."

As she approached Klaus on the corner I instinctively moved closer to Damon, nervous to watch the drama unfold before me. He stood very still, just as captivated by the confrontation as I was.

...

"Caroline," Klaus walked several steps forward to meet her as he became certain she was walking towards him. "Are we on speaking terms again?"

"What are you doing here?" Caroline ignored Klaus' question and tightened her jacket around her, feeling a chill come through her body.

"The entire town is here," Klaus laughed and looked around, hoping that this would be enough explanation.

"You don't even live here...Do you?" Her voice lowered from defensive to inquisitive, providing assurance to Klaus that his next move had not been made too soon.

"For now I do," he smiled and scratched his head, attempting to appear as innocent as was possible for him, all things considered. "Actually, I was hoping to find you. I saw you in the parade; you were incredible. I don't think I told you, but I have a thing for girls in uniform."

Caroline smiled at his shameless compliment and every muscle in his body relaxed. He had won.

"You didn't mention that before," she reached up to tighten her pony tail, a subconscious attempt to look even more cheerleader-like, "Although I shouldn't be surprised. You didn't mention lots of things."

Klaus sighed and Caroline tensed up, obviously realizing she was beating a dead horse. "We haven't moved past that? It's been a week. Are you going to give me a chance to be your friend or not?"

Caroline acted as if she were still considering his request; in reality she had made her mind up as soon as he left the coffee shop last weekend. He had a hold on her in a way that no one ever had, and she would be unable to resist his charms much longer. It was a wonder to both Caroline and Klaus that she had made it through the week without contacting him. Seeing him now had unleashed a rush of pent up desire and she once again did not care how silly it made her seem; after all, Elena was back with Damon. Why couldn't she find her prince charming in a frog, too?

"One more chance. But that's all you get, and you have a lot of making up to do," she tried to remain stern but a smile peaked through.

Sensing her weakness, Klaus stepped forward and hugged her, "You won't be disappointed," he whispered, looking at Damon and Elena over her shoulder with a sly smile that made them both feel uneasy.

Meanwhile, Damon could not help but move towards the two when he noticed the reconciliation and Elena followed hesitantly. When they reached the corner Klaus looked at Damon knowingly and Damon shot him a warning look, wanting Klaus to understand that they would be talking about this later. He didn't linger too long, however, knowing that Elena had already picked up on the strange connection between he and Klaus today. He had decided he would not be able to keep things from her for much longer, but he was also not quite sure he could trust that she had changed yet; until he was sure, his secret would remain just that.

"Hello again, old friend," Klaus smiled at Damon wickedly while Caroline and Elena exchanged furtive glances. "We just keep running into each other."

"You keep running into me," Damon corrected, placing an arm around Elena's shoulders nonchalantly in a feeble attempt to throw her off of the scent.

"Together again, I see?" Klaus motioned back and forth between the couple in front of him and waited for an explanation that neither of them felt he warranted.

Elena looked at the ground, nervously shifting beneath Damon's arm. He hesitated then dropped his arm to her side, feeling for her hand in a more subtle display.

"I don't see how it's any of your business," Elena replied finally, shooting daggers with her eyes.

Klaus held his hands up and laughed, "Sorry, sweetheart. You're right. It's not."

"Nik, do you want to come to Trade Street with us? I think the four of us all getting to know each other would do us some good," Caroline nudged Klaus' arm with her hand, an inviting smile spread across her face.

"Caroline," Elena narrowed her eyes at her friend, not bothering to be indirect.

"What? I'm trying, Elena. You can try too," She challenged, and Elena sighed and didn't say another word. "Well?" Caroline turned to Klaus again, smile back in place.

Klaus looked from Caroline to Damon and back again. He wanted to act surprised by the invitation, but this had been his plan all along and he was sure that Damon could see right through him. "Sure, doll. I'd love to spend time with you."

Elena shook her head disapprovingly and began to walk, still holding on to Damon's hand. As they fell in line behind Caroline and Klaus Damon gave her hand a tiny squeeze. "She's right, you know. Just give him another chance," he said quietly.

"I didn't object to trying, did I?" Elena answered in a whisper, but the look of displeasure on her face was evident.

Damon remained silent for the remainder of the walk down the block, wondering suddenly whether he was aiding a noble cause or helping to create a disaster.

...

The day flew by quickly, and before long the sun was setting on the Winter Festival downtown. For most of the afternoon Elena and Damon remained separated from Caroline and Klaus, except for a few casual interactions between Elena and Caroline at vendor tables comparing custom jewelry and hand-sewn clutches.

Caroline had to admit, things were a little awkward. She barely knew Klaus and it suddenly felt as though she had chosen his team and Elena had chosen Damon's. She wanted more than anything for the four of them to be on the same team, but she knew this might be a pipe dream at best.

Around 7:00 the parents and small children in town began to filter back into their mini vans and sedans to head home. Around this time the restaurants and bars began to fill up with high school seniors and college underclassmen, and by this point Caroline could see that Klaus and Damon were feeling the effects of the beer they had been consuming all day. When the four of them entered a pub on Washington Avenue the two men had even begun to joke quietly amongst themselves, and Caroline found herself keeping Elena company as their dates sauntered behind slowly.

The pub was always a popular favorite for the locals, the abundant Irish theme making it feel okay to get hammered before sunset and helping to promote the constant cheery atmosphere. Tonight the pub was more crowded than Caroline could remember ever seeing it, and she knew that with any luck she would be able to score a beer or two unnoticed. By this time the bar was standing room only and the small dining area was slammed with tipsy customers, so the four unlikely friends found a space to stand and observe just to the left of the bar.

"Wow, I've never seen so many people I know in one public place," Caroline said to Elena, screaming over the music into her ear.

"I know, it's awful," Elena joked with a smile.

"Well, I could do without the evil looks," Caroline was never shy for attention, that was for sure. But this time the stares felt different than before; less envious and more judgey.

She could just imagine the conversations now, echoing inside her head like unwelcome warnings: 'Wow, she's really done it this time.'; 'There's no turning back now.'; 'She's a lost cause.'; 'I wonder if her mother knows...'

"I need a drink," she announced to Elena, spinning away from the wandering eyes to face the bar.

"One step ahead of you," Klaus returned from an absence that Caroline was unaware he had taken with two beers in hand. He held one towards Caroline and she looked around skeptically. "Caroline, every teenager in this place is drinking. Who's going to say anything to you while I'm standing here with you?"

This was all the convincing she needed; she grabbed the drink from his hand and took a long gulp, still not quite loving the taste but feeling better about her insecurities already. She moved to the edge of the bar and sat the bottle down between sips to avoid trouble, and was pleased to see that Elena appeared to have a fruity drink of her own that she sipped cautiously through a tiny white straw. Caroline smiled with pride as Elena did not wince after the drink passed down her throat; after a few minutes she joined Caroline next to the bar to set her drink down as well.

"See Lae, I think they're getting along," She nudged Elena with her elbow and nodded towards Damon and Klaus, who had begun to whisper fervently again a few feet away. This time Klaus was smiling and Damon looked less than pleased, clutching his glass tightly as he drank very slowly. His eyes were focused on something across the room and Caroline casually turned her head to see if she could figure out what had grabbed his attention. "Oh my God," she gasped, mouth falling open in surprise, "Is that Tyler?"

Elena turned in the direction Caroline was facing and she squinted her eyes to clarify what she thought she was witnessing, "I think it is," She answered finally, knowing with absolute certainty now.

Tyler was indeed across the room, beer in one hand and the other wrapped around the waist of a tall blonde on the makeshift dance floor. He was grinding his hips against her as if no one else were in the room. Caroline had seen that look before; he was drunk, and he was on the prowl. Who she didn't recognize was the victim, and she found herself feeling a terrible jolt of jealousy stir inside her.

"Who is that bimbo?" She asked through gritted teeth, reaching for her beer as a distraction. She was unable to take her eyes off of the scene before her and she barely noticed when Klaus moved in beside her, stepping between she and Elena.

He slipped his arm around her waist and leaned down, placing his lips just beside her ear, "That bimbo," he whispered, "would be my sister."

"What?" Caroline spun around, nearly knocking Klaus' beer from his hand. "_That_ is your sister?"

"Whoa," Klaus was chuckling now and he grabbed a hold of Caroline's shoulders after setting his drink down. "Easy there. You're not jealous, are you?"

"Jealous? No. Why would I be jealous of _that_?" She looked over her shoulder again; now Tyler and the blonde were face to face, her hands roaming over his chest and his down her back.

"I recognize him," Klaus continued, offering Caroline another sip of her drink, "That's the guy from the movies. Your ex."

"Demonstrating the reason we broke up," She chugged several swallows this time and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Why is your sister here? And why is she prowling on high school boys?"

Klaus continued to smile, despite being the tiniest bit upset at Caroline's jealousy. "She's barely older than you, Caroline. And need I remind you that your friends might be wondering the same thing about me? And Damon," he looked at Elena now; she had moved next to Damon and was looking up at him angrily, as if he had something to do with the drama unfolding before them. Damon put his hand on her shoulder and continued to watch the conversation between Klaus and Caroline, curious to know the answers himself. "She's staying with me. She's harmless, I promise. But she is a bit of a..."

"Slut?" Caroline finished, and at the same time Elena chimed in:

"Whore?"

Klaus' eyes widened in astonishment, thinking what a shame it was to hear such fowl words come from such pretty mouths. He kept his comment to himself and completed his earlier statement, "Flirt."

"Whatever," Caroline finished her beer in a few successive sips and slammed it down onto the bar. She grabbed Klaus' beer from his hand and finished it off as well, causing a fiery reaction in Klaus' eyes. She could feel Elena moving in closer (to lecture no doubt) but she quickly took Klaus' hands and leaned up to whisper in his ear, "Dance with me."

"With pleasure," He smiled sideways and his eyes continued to smolder with some mixture of excitement and desire. He took her hand and spun her around to face the dance floor, pressing himself up against her as they walked through the crowd.

Elena watched, mouth hanging open, as Caroline and Klaus made their way to the edge of the dancing crowd, just feet from where Tyler and Rebekah stood. She was certain Caroline was in one of her dramatic moods and she prepared herself for the inevitable confrontation by taking another small sip of her drink. Afterwards she spun around and looked at Damon, trying with all her will to avoid an accusation.

"Did you know about this?" She asked calmly, nudging her head in the direction of the crowd.

Damon shook his head firmly, never breaking eye contact, "No," he answered, placing a hand on Elena's cheek above her jaw, "I don't know what he's up to with Rebekah. But I need you to trust me, okay? Everything is going to be fine."

Elena's face softened at his touch; she wanted so badly to believe him. Still, she couldn't shake the unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach but she could convince herself to forget about it for a few more hours. "Okay," she smiled and he kissed her, releasing all of her inhibitions. "Would you like to dance, _babe_?"

Damon had never been big on dancing - except during one of his rave phases in his early twenties, when he was under the influence of more than just a few beers. However, tonight nothing seemed more appropriate. "For you, I can make an exception," he said, and he was sure she understood what he meant.

He finished his beer and she took several more sips of her drink, then they disappeared into the crowd of sweat and bodies, both unaware that for now they were just passing the time until the main event.


	41. Chapter 41

The pub was a blurry memory of sweat and blood for Tyler Lockwood. The first thing he could recollect about the evening was laying on the floor looking up into the mesmerized faces of what felt like several hundred onlookers. The base from the speakers still pounded throughout the small bar but the voices had stopped completely. Tyler instinctively touched his finger to his lip, having tasted the salty evidence of his brawl already. He pulled his finger away and examined the bright red substance, but while his eyes adjusted to focus in on his hand the pounding in his head above his right eye began. He groaned and closed his eyes, and when he opened them again there was a distantly familiar face leaning over him.

Her. _Her_. What was her name? _Rebekah_. He had complimented the beauty in the word as it left his lips after their introduction earlier in the night. Something along the lines of, 'Beautiful name for a beautiful girl.' Cheesy, but somehow effective. He had never seen a woman so exotic in the monotonous town of Mystic Falls, and he had to admit he felt like quite the champ when she suggested to accompany him from the first bar to the pub.

At some point during their grinding session on the dance floor between his eighth and tenth beer, he saw Caroline across the room. She was with Elena, of course. _And that must be prince charming_, he remembered thinking. He nearly said it out loud and he could not avoid staring, but for some reason when Rebekah noticed she appeared to become even more excited about dancing and she turned up the sex appeal to a higher level, if that were even possible.

Tyler allowed himself to become distracted by her and he turned off the rage that had begun to fester inside. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was how damned horny he had been since Caroline had dumped him a couple of weeks ago, but his attention was easily grabbed by this stranger and for the first time he found himself forgetting all about how badly he had wanted to be in the same room as Romeo (as he had come to refer to the home-wrecker) to show him just much he appreciated his girl being stolen right out from underneath him.

Sure, maybe he had cheated a few times. But that was to be expected - he was the resident playboy in town, and he had a right to be. He was the quarterback, the president of student council and the mayor's son. He single handedly ran every committee in high school and there was a reason; like his father, he needed control and he needed recognition.

Caroline was the obvious choice to be his trophy girl this year - she was captain of the cheerleaders now, and in the MFHS social ladder a female didn't rank much higher than that. His plan was to string her along until graduation in the spring, after winning Prom Court and becoming immortalized as one half of the Hottest Couple in the senior yearbook.

However, lately he had started to feel guilty when he left the hotel rooms of the visiting cheerleading squad after home games; he had actually started to like this girl, and more than just his ego was devastated when she called it quits after their last movie date. _I should have let her see the stupid chick movie_, he had told himself on the way home. But the next day when word got back to him that she had in fact met a mysterious older man at the movie theater he knew he had been duped, and he did not take lightly to a challenge.

He received a tip from some of the guys that Romeo was going to be at The Grille about a week later, but by the time he showed up there he and Caroline both were gone - apparently after some strange fight between the two of them and Elena. _Fighting already. Didn't take her long to fall for this asshole._

Since then he had learned who Romeo was, and he had to admit he wasn't entirely surprised. Of course Caroline would only leave him for a bigger and badder jerk, and he really didn't expect much less than the leader of a gang. He also knew that it was a phase, and that once Romeo got his fill of her she would be crawling back to him. Hopefully just in time for Prom; the break up/make up would make a great story to win votes.

Tonight he had a sneaking suspicion that he might run into his new sworn enemy, and he prepared by getting completely loaded before the sun had even set. His mother had pulled him into her car outside when she got word that he was drinking, lecturing him on the importance of keeping up appearances in the public eye for the upcoming election. _Think of your father_, she had said. Tyler thought long and hard of his father as he got out of the Beamer and slammed the door behind him, flashing a peace sign to his mom before stumbling into the bar where he met Rebekah.

Several minutes passed since Tyler had seen Caroline come into the pub and by this point he had nearly forgotten all about her. Maybe the only thing better than the princess of the high school was the older goddess he now had in his grasp; imagine the looks when he walked into the Prom with her on his arm. Of course, he would have to warn her that dancing like this would be wildly inappropriate in front of the chaperones at Prom... But right here, right now, he couldn't get enough of her body on his and before long he found himself caught in a heated kiss in the middle of the dance floor. He had to keep reminding his fuzzy brain that he was in public to avoid stripping all her clothes off and taking her right that moment.

Rebekah pulled away just in time, giggling in a way that made him want her even more. "I like you," she whispered, her mouth right against his ear.

He closed his eyes as her breath sent a chill down his spine. "I like you too," he said, and just as he was about to suggest going somewhere more private he opened his eyes and caught a glimpse of Caroline, dancing slowly with Romeo ten feet away.

Unthinking, his hands fell from Rebekah's waist and he was unable to look away as Romeo leaned down to kiss his girl. From the look on Caroline's face this wasn't something the two had done frequently, and he suddenly realized that perhaps this guy had not intended to 'hit and quit it', as he and his friends would say. Maybe they actually liked each other.

"Sorry," he muttered to Rebekah, who had quickly become just another girl in the crowded room.

"Tyler, where are you going?" he heard her call behind him as he pushed his way through a group of girls dancing between he and the kissing couple ahead.

Tyler ignored the question and reached his hand out to grab Romeo's shoulder. He tightened his grip and prepared to turn him around, but his target reacted quickly and he stepped away, turning to face Tyler.

"Ty," Caroline grabbed Tyler's arm, probably reading the look on his face and recognizing it for what it was. "What are you doing?"

"You need something, kid?" Romeo raised his eyebrows and the hint of a smirk emerged.

"Yeah, I need you to go back to wherever the hell you came from and leave her alone," The alcohol flowed through his veins in the form of liquid courage and, although he was a good two inches shorter than the man before him, he felt a foot taller.

Romeo laughed and boldly put his arm around Caroline's shoulders. "Or what, punk?"

That was all it took. Something inside of him snapped in that instant and he reared his arm back, fist balled and ready to fight. The way he imagined the scene playing out was that his fist would connect directly with Romeo's jaw; Romeo would retreat and Caroline would stay to praise her hero.

The reality was much less picturesque. As he threw his arm forward with all of his strength, he forgot to plant his feet and stumbled forward, missing Romeo's face by an inch or more. Romeo grabbed his hand and held it down, giving him the perfect opening to throw his own punch. Unlike Tyler's, this one landed directly where he intended it to - Tyler's right eye. The second punch hit him square in the mouth, and Tyler allowed the blackness to take over from there.

Now he lay on the ground, staring up at the face of the woman he should have never walked away from.

"Are you okay?" she asked, now bending down and offering her hand.

He ignored both the question and the offer and sat up on his own, still dizzy and seeing spots. After gathering his bearings on the floor he pushed himself to his feet, looking around to see who all from his crowd of friends had seen what happened. Luckily most of the people here now had graduated from MFHS last year, except for a few skater kids and druggies. He had left his friends at the country bar down the road, where they were taking turns on the mechanical bull. It had been Rebekah's idea to come to the pub, and he suddenly became angry that he had ever fallen for her charms.

Upon standing he immediately saw Caroline, just behind and to the left of where Rebekah stood in front of him. She was in Elena's arms, her hands covering her mouth. Romeo stood beside her, holding his fist in his hand and glancing at Tyler while a security guard pointed towards the door.

Suddenly the alcohol and the pain hit Tyler hard, and he wanted to vomit. But he held it back, keeping his gaze locked on his assailant. Soon Romeo exited the bar, followed by the security guard and the crowd of three he had come with. Caroline looked back at Tyler as she exited, mouthing, 'I'm so sorry' before disappearing outside.

Tyler looked around, plotting his next move. He knew he was too drunk to make much good of following Romeo into the street, and he had never felt so embarrassed. "What are you looking at?" he said loudly to some girls gathered beside him. They turned away quickly and Tyler backed up, feeling as if he might fall again.

"Hey, it's okay," a voice soothed, and he felt a hand on his shoulder pushing him down onto a wooden stool. "Sit down for a minute. You'll be fine," it was Rebekah again, and as much as he wanted to be angry with her he did not have much of a choice - she was suddenly his only ally in this room full of people; at least she had stayed by his side, whereas some of the kids who he had known since he was in diapers only stood and stared.

He absentmindedly removed his phone from his pocket, checking first to make sure it was not cracked. It appeared to be intact, and he called his friend Jae, who was surely still at the bar down the road with the rest of the football team. The call went to voicemail and Tyler cursed, wishing for once that he had at least one reliable friend. He rolled his head to the side and looked at Rebekah, who stood silently beside him. She suddenly looked more like a timid barbie doll than a sex goddess, and his anger towards her softened.

"Are you okay?" She asked nervously, standing inches away as if she expected him to attack her as well.

"No," Tyler laughed and was instantly reminded of the pounding in his skull. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into his bed and sleep for days, unsure of whether or not he even wanted to return to school on Monday after this humiliation. One thing was certain - he would get his revenge on Romeo if it was the last thing he did.

"Why don't you let me take you to my place? It's nothing special, just a little motel room. I can take care of you," Rebekah stepped forward and gently ran a finger down the side of Tyler's face, next to the bruise that had begun to form under his eye.

He looked up at her and considered her proposal. "Fuck it. Why not?" He thought, and couldn't remember if he said it out loud or not. Either way, Rebekah seemed to get the hint and she threw his arm over his shoulder to help him up. The two exited the bar and by the time he was lowered into the passenger seat of an unfamiliar vehicle the world around him went dark once again.

...

"All I'm saying is, you didn't have to hit him twice. I think you got your point across after the first one," Caroline was a ball of nerves and tension, and as the four members of her party walked down the sidewalk of Washington Avenue she couldn't help but think that she should run back and check on Tyler. After all, she was the one who had gotten the guys into this mess and she felt responsible for making sure Tyler made it out safely.

"He tried to hit me," Klaus expressed for the third time. "Little punk is lucky I stopped after two," he continued to massage his fist with his opposite hand, adrenaline pumping and mind spinning. This little side quest had not been planned, but it sure as hell felt good. He could only hope that none of his actions would get in the way of his ultimate goal and that his sister would still be able to complete her task.

Damon and Elena had been silent since leaving the pub, but suddenly Damon stopped cold in front of Klaus and Caroline and turned to face them. "Can I talk to you?" he demanded, nostrils flaring as he spoke. The burning questions inside him could not wait any longer, and at this point he didn't care how suspicious Elena became. He needed to know what the hell was going on.

Klaus smiled and on cue Caroline scurried forward, wrapping her arms around Elena and resting her head on her shoulder as they began to walk. When Klaus was sure the girls were out of hearing distance he focused his attention on Damon, still smiling. "Well, this has been an exciting evening."

"Don't give me that bullshit, Klaus. What are you up to? This stupid game you're playing with Caroline has to end. Now. And a little more discretion would be nice. How am I supposed to get in with Lockwood if everyone knows I'm hanging around with the asshole who assaulted his kid?" Damon spoke in a raised whisper, standing inches from Klaus' face.

"That wasn't part of the plan," his smile faded and he looked down at his hand again, "But you can't tell me he didn't deserve it."

"Well what exactly is 'the plan', huh? How are we supposed to work together when I keep finding out everything you do after you do it?"

"You wouldn't have agreed to helping me get Caroline back on my good side," he rationed, and Damon could not disagree. "I didn't plan on double dating with you all day, if that's what you're insinuating. It's not my fault that your girlfriend doesn't have any other friends," Damon narrowed his eyes and Klaus laughed, "God, you're too sensitive. You really should protect your vulnerability. You never know who might be trying to take advantage of you."

Damon backed up, eye's blazing. "The hell is that supposed to mean? You know what, fuck this. I'm done with you. Find someone else to play with," he started to turn around but Klaus grabbed his arm, stopping him in place.

"Okay," Klaus growled, submitting, "Rebekah is working on Tyler, alright? She likes to start trouble, we both know that. I made the mistake of telling her what bar we were at when she asked earlier. She obviously just wanted to get her kicks stirring up dust with the kid. I'll take care of her. I just need you to focus on Lockwood. You're right, you shouldn't be seen with me - he knows how I feel about him. Otherwise I'd do this myself..." He trailed off, calculating a way to correct his error, "Make something up. Tell him I tried to turn you against him and you don't trust me. Some bullshit like that."

"That won't be a stretch," Damon interjected in a mumble, eyes rolling dramatically.

Klaus continued uhphased, "I'll stay away from you two - but I'm keeping that one around," He smiled at Caroline as he watched the girls stop at the street corner, waiting impatiently in the cold for their dates to join them.

Damon yanked his arm from Klaus' grasp and turned away, walking quickly to catch up to Elena. He reached for her hand when he got close enough and turned to look back at Klaus, who was just now reaching Caroline. "Let's go," he said to Elena, not bothering to hide his displeasure.

Elena stared at Damon for a moment, confused before turning to Caroline. "Are you okay?" She asked quietly, aware that everyone could hear her.

"I'll be fine," Caroline smiled and shrugged, flicking her eyes up at Klaus as he put an arm around her.

Damon tugged lightly on Elena's hand to pull her behind him as he crossed the street. "Call me," she called over her shoulder.

When the two had reached the opposite side of the street Elena turned around again to find that Klaus and Caroline had begun to walk slowly down the sidewalk. Caroline was visibly upset but attempting to hide it as Klaus kept a tight arm wrapped around her, his lips moving as he spoke and eyes fixed ahead.

Elena stopped abruptly and pulled her hand away from Damon's. He now stood a few steps ahead of her with his back towards her, but fully able to picture the angry stance she must have assumed when he closed his eyes. He waited for her to unleash her fury, and after several seconds of silence he finally turned around slowly, nervous about what he might see.

As he imagined, she had her arms crossed across her chest and her face showed genuine concern. Now that he was facing her she finally spoke, "Damon, I'm not stupid. I can't keep pretending like I don't realize something is going on with you and him. I thought we were working on trust," she was trying to keep her voice from being too accusatory.

"Yes, working on _me_ trusting _you_," Damon laughed at her suggestion, realizing immediately that once again he had said the wrong thing. He sighed and walked closer to her, leaning down when he was inches away to let her attempt to see the struggle in his eyes, "Look, I know it's harsh Elena but it's the truth. I told you that I wasn't changing, and this is who I am. I'll always have my secrets. I want to be able to tell you everything, but...I need to be sure I can trust that things aren't going to end up the same as before."

"That I'm not going to sleep with your brother again?" Elena raised her eyebrows, this time with her own bewildered smile, "Because I can assure you, Damon, that's the furthest thing from my mind," She watched as her words stung Damon, unable to stop them from coming out in this moment of weakness. The look on his face brought her out of her defensive zone and she lowered her voice, "I just want to know what's going on with you. Can't we start with that?"

Damon watched her face silently, considering the implications of letting her in so soon. "Not tonight," he said finally, and when her head fell in disappointment he placed a hand under her chin to tilt it back up, "Hey, I promise you - everything is going to be fine. What's going on between me and Klaus doesn't have anything to do with you or Caroline. I know it sounds crazy, but he's helping me with something."

"Oh yeah? So what's he getting out of it, then? Because I don't care what you or Caroline think about him; I know that he's not some reformed bad boy with a guilty conscience on the path of righteousness. He's not helping anyone for good karma," Elena plead with her eyes for him to believe her, but when his face didn't waiver she knew she had lost this battle. This would obviously have to wait.

"I'm helping him too," he said quietly, obviously uncomfortable with divulging even this much information. "Can we drop it for tonight, babe? I'm a little drunk and I can't be held responsible for my words much longer," he smiled innocently, lightening the tense mood. As he noticed her body language loosen up, his smile shifted from apologetic to playful. "Or my actions," he whispered, pressing himself up against her. He moved his hands around her back and leaned down to kiss her neck, moving several articles of clothing to expose her skin to the cold air.

"Quit," she giggled, playfully slapping his shoulder but not pushing away. "I guess you don't trust me enough to sleep in my bed yet, do you?"

As her words processed inside his head he stopped his conquest of kisses on her shoulder blade and stood up straight, still not allowing even an inch of space between their bodies. He had not considered whether or not he was ready for that step with her yet, but now that he thought about it he realized that this was the first time he had begun to feel turned on by her without his wandering mind stopping him from going any further. In fact, he had not thought about what had happened between she and Stefan all day. Maybe he wasn't ready to trust that she would be understanding of his conquest with Mayor Lockwood, but he could at least pacify her in the meantime by giving her a little taste of him.

"That all depends," he forced a contemplative expression and raised an eyebrow, enjoying watching her squirm with anticipation for as long as he could drag his answer out.

"On...?" She was waiting for him to complete his conditions, and when he did not respond right away she felt the need to drag it out of him. She reached a hand up to the side of his face and circled his ear with her finger, trailing behind his head to run her fingers through his hair as pleasurably as she could manage in the cold.

"Are Jenna and Jeremy heavy sleepers?" He replied, and the smile that followed lit up her entire face.

"Jenna is staying at her boyfriend's," she brought her hand down from behind his head to his lower back to press his hips tighter against hers, leaning her torso away from him with a 'come and get it' look in her eyes. "Jeremy won't be home for a few hours..."

"That should be plenty of time," He kissed her longingly, unable to move for several seconds.

She finally broke the kiss, removing his roaming hands from her body by taking them in her own. "What you are waiting for? Get me home."

...

Tyler sat up, unable to make out much of anything in the darkness. He heard movement to his right, what sounded like curtains sliding across a metal rod and shortly after a stream of bright light shone in through a large four-panel window. He was instantly reminded of the aching in his head behind his eye as the light filled his retinas and he instinctively threw his hand up to shield them.

When he had adjusted to the light in the room he squinted ahead as a figure approached the bed he lay in. It was her; he was in her motel room, and the memory of the previous night's events cascaded through his mind.

"Here," Rebekah handed him a bottle of water and placed two red pills into his palm. "For your head," she explained, apparently responding to the look of confusion on his face.

"Fuck," he groaned, pulling himself into a sitting position. He popped the pills into his mouth and chugged half of the bottle. When he was finished he closed his eyes again and let his head fall back against the wall behind him. "I need to get home, my mom's going to have an APB out."

Rebekah poked out her bottom lip as she sat on the bed beside him, too close for a woman to be sitting with a strange person she had just met the night before. "Is that any way to thank me for taking care of you?" She asked sweetly, caressing his left check with the back of her hand.

Tyler was certain he was looking at Rebekah as if she were missing her head, trying to put the pieces together and wondering why in God's name this gorgeous woman was still so into him after all she had seen.

"I, uh," he stammered, still squinting, "I guess I could stay. Have you eaten? Let me take you to breakfast. Or lunch. Or whatever. What time is it?" He looked around for any sign of a clock, but moving his eye to the right proved more painful than even the sunlight and instead all he could do was close his eyes and moan.

"Don't be silly. You need to rest. I told you I would take care of you," she giggled, standing up from the side of the bed.

"I got my ass kicked. I don't have cancer," he retorted, suddenly feeling so emasculated that he considered fighting the pain and leaving. The thought was fleeting as he remembered he had no idea where he was and no way to get home, so instead he watched his captor unveil a tray of hot food that had been sitting by the door.

She wheeled the tray next to the bed and uncovered the lid, revealing a full continental breakfast complete with ham, bacon, fruit, and assorted pastries and croissants. A clear glass of orange juice and a white mug filled with steaming coffee accompanied the food, and he reached for the caffeine without hesitation, not bothering to consider where the food had come from.

"What are you, some kind of secret agent? Why are you being so nice to me?" He looked at her briefly as he sat the mug down, reaching immediately for the bacon. His stomach was turning flips and he knew that greasy food was the best way to settle the imminent hangover.

She giggled again, and he noted that he was beginning to find the sound soothing. "I told you, I like you. That's all. I felt bad about last night. I dragged you away from your friends and... Well, you remember what happened. What was all that about, anyway?" She took the glass of orange juice off of his tray and sipped it casually.

Tyler still found it odd that this stranger was acting so much like a friend, and momentarily he forgot that he had only just met her the night before in a drunken haze. "Romeo," he mumbled with a short chuckle, "God, why did I have to get so drunk? Any other time I could have kicked his ass."

Rebekah's eyes widened, her interest apparently peaked, "What did he do to piss you off so bad?"

This time Tyler caught himself before continuing to express this top secret information. As he considered it, however, he realized that maybe confessing to a person he may never see again was just what he needed. "He stole my girl," he said, and as the sentence resounded in the room he felt anger boil up all over again. "While we were on a date. Wait til I see that prick again..."

"Doesn't sound like a girl worth fighting over, if you ask me," she said with a shrug.

Tyler considered her statement while glaring at her over his bacon, trying to decider whether he wanted to berate her or agree with her.

When he could not come up with a response Rebekah continued, "You know, they say jealousy is the best revenge. I could help you get back at her."

"Get back at _her_?" Tyler echoed, his head spinning. He blinked and looked around the room, feeling out of place but strangely comfortable. This was the first time anyone had suggested getting revenge on Caroline for leaving him, but now that he thought about it it made perfect sense. All that he had accomplished with his current plan was to make Romeo look even more like a bad ass and himself look like an idiot; maybe he was approaching the situation entirely wrong. With Caroline, 'get back at her' would more surely turn into 'get her back' quicker than anything else.

"She obviously played you. If it wasn't this guy it would have been someone else. Girls like that need to see what it feels like on the other side. Give her a taste of her own medicine," Rebekah smiled innocently, a shimmer of excitement in her eye.

Tyler returned the smile, wheels still spinning, "And you're gonna help me?"

Rebekah shrugged offhandedly, "Sure. It'll give me something to do while I'm in town."

Tyler looked down at his food, absentmindedly picking at a croissant. He began to picture himself in town with the goddess; her hanging on his arm at The Grille with all his friends, cheering him on at the last playoff game next week. He could picture Caroline's face from the field as she looked up into the stands to see his new trophy. Hell, she would be so jealous she might be in back in arms in time for Christmas. If not, he gains a new prom date (an even taller and blonder version of the original) and some street cred from the college guys.

_What's the worst that could happen?_


	42. Chapter 42

****AN** I apologize for the update delay. Creative leave of absence :-) Hope you enjoy!**

**...**

_Dear Diary,_

_That's how you're supposed to start these things, right? I guess before I didn't really understand why Jeremy gave me this for my birthday. But now I get it. Sometimes something so amazing happens that you just want to talk about it, but you don't always have anyone to tell... Anyone who cares, anyway._

_Saturday night was incredible. It was fantastic, amazing, ecstasy... I thought I knew before, but now I'm sure. I've never been more sure of anything in my life._

_I love him._

...

The car ride to the Gilbert house was filled with anxious tension, and both Damon and Elena felt a little awkward. Sure, Damon had made this ride many times before with other girls - from the bar to the house, with full anticipation of what awaited them, both unashamed and lacking any moral conviction. This time was different. It was Elena, and although they had been intimate quite a few times before now, it was all so different then. Before, the passion had been derived from the excitement of a forbidden, secretive relationship; but now, they had experienced the turbulence that determines whether a connection is fleeting or everlasting, and they both knew that sex would not quite be the same.

Damon could not deny that he had begun to consider whether or not he was truly ready to go through with it. After the initial excitement had worn off, his wheels began to turn again and he allowed himself to remember why he had promised to be so hesitant with Elena in the first place. Yes, things were different now because of the feelings that had blossomed between them; but they were also different for another, not quite so romantic reason. Elena had been with someone else. Somehow this felt different than the times he had been with other women, the fact that his brother was involved aside. Before he had been her only one and looking back, he knew that this took all of the pressure off. Normally he wouldn't care, but with Elena he had always wanted every time to be better than the last. Now he could never be sure how he compared.

Before he realized it he was parking his car in front of her house and ready or not, it was time to face the music. With some hesitation he got out of the car and followed her up the driveway to the front door. She must have noticed his altered demeanor, as she stopped before unlocking the front door to kiss him. The kiss was not urgent, it was not persuasive - it was honest, and that was all he could ask for. His shoulders relaxed and he smiled, letting the hesitation escape.

By the time they reached Elena's bedroom he found himself feeling a strange nervous excitement, almost rivaling the way he felt the first night at the barn. Elena closed the bedroom door softly and he approached her dresser, once again focusing his attention on the scattered picture frames - memories frozen in time, special moments she had shared with all of the people in her life who had meant something to her. He began to wonder if he would ever occupy a space on her dresser; if the place he held in her life would ever be so significant. As if reading his thoughts, Elena approached him and reached for his hand, pulling lightly to turn him towards her. She had a determined look on her face and he found it entirely intoxicating, not at all the face of the innocent girl he had been with not so long ago. This was the look of a woman who knew what she wanted, and who would not stop until she got it.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to make me break the rules," he said coyly, his hands moving behind her neck. He moved her hair off of her shoulders and grabbed the collar of her jacket, pulling it open to slip it off of her shoulders. Most of her neck remained covered by her scarf and sweater, and he felt a rush as he imagined the feeling of seeing it bare, an image he had spent most of the night thinking about.

"Isn't that what you do? Rule breaker, troublemaker. Bad boy..." she focused her eyes on the zipper of his jacket as she slid it down to reveal the shirt underneath, his chest rising and falling more rapidly with each inch she uncovered.

"Ah, I like to think I'm reformed," after his jacket hit the floor beside her he began to work on removing her scarf, deliberately avoiding eye contact and moving very slowly, as she had with his zipper.

"I think you can get off the wagon for a few hours," much to his surprise, her hands covered his before he had a chance to entirely remove her scarf. She quickly finished the task herself before grabbing a handful of his shirt and pulling him towards her. She kissed him with a raw energy he had rarely experienced from her before and he could feel a jolt from his heart to his knees. His breath caught in his chest and after several seconds he had to pull away, breathing heavily. Her eyes were on fire, a lioness stalking her prey. In the pause she reached down to grab the bottom of her dress; she pulled it over her head and tossed it to the floor, then stepped forward to place a hand on his pants. He had allowed women to be in control before, but that is not how he would allow this to play out. She had a lesson to learn about control; if that was what she wanted with Stefan, she sure as hell would not be getting it with Damon tonight.

"Ah ah," he shook his head back and forth slowly, drawing a furrowed brow on his huntress' face. "Relax. You're mine tonight."

His words set off an explosion inside of her and she could barely resist tackling him to the floor and ripping his clothes off. Instead she tried to keep her composure, enjoying the feeling of familiarity and getting pretty good at the chase. She felt indebted to him for allowing her this second chance and now she wanted nothing more than to make him feel good, knowing that she would do whatever it took to make everything up to him. Before he could protest again she unbuttoned his pants and began to slide them to the floor, bending her knees to position herself in front of his waist. She had attempted this once with him before but she was sure this time it would be better, and she could think of nothing more she would rather do than see her prince in ecstasy.

"No," He grabbed her arms and easily raised her back to a standing position, not loosening his grip on her shoulders even when he had captivated her attention. "I told you, tonight you're mine. We play by my rules," he unsnapped her bra with one motion and picked her up by her waist, laying her down on the bed. He removed his shirt and hovered above her, pants still loosened but intact. He kissed her from her mouth down to her belly button and moved only his eyes up to hers as he began working on removing what little of her clothes remained. She was breathless and her mouth hung open, her chest rising and falling rapidly. He was overcome with power and control and he realized in that moment that he had never been so turned on. His mission was to prove to Elena that she never needed another man to satisfy her again and he wanted her to remember only his touch. He wanted to do things to her that he was sure Stefan didn't do, and he needed to know (even more than she did) that she was his again.

When he had removed all of her clothes he sat back for a moment to admire the view before him. The other times that he and Elena had been intimate, she had always been so nervous and self-conscious when he tried to look at her. This time she stared at him with the sexiest expression he had ever seen, almost daring him to resist her. He responded to her challenge by placing one hand on each of her knees, slowly pulling them apart. At first she resisted but as he moved his lips to her inner thigh her muscles relaxed and her hands moved to his hair, tugging and pulling with passion. He slowly worked his way up her thigh and before they reached their goal he made eye contact, hoping to imprint her desire in his mind before his eyes closed.

For the next several minutes his only mission was to please her from the inside out, and when he was certain he had accomplished his task he finally looked up her again. Her hands had fallen from his hair to her sides and her breathing was more rapid than it had been all night. Her eyes were closed and she let out a pleasurable groan, grabbing hold of his arms to pull him up beside her.

"You win," she said quietly between breaths, "I'm all yours."

He smiled victoriously, tracing his finger from her lips down her neck and between her breasts. "I'm not letting you off that easy," he pressed himself against her side, a reminder that he was still ready to go. "I'm not finished with you yet," her eyes opened and he was pleased to find that they still sparkled wildly with passion. He finished removing his own pants and positioned himself between her legs, waiting for her to initiate a kiss so that he knew she had recovered fully. At first her kiss was slow, lacking energy but still deeply passionate. Finally it deepened and he felt her hands moving down his waist, then around his back. She started to pull him down onto her and he took the hint, not needing to be told twice.

They made love for what felt like hours, more intense and emotional than ever before. He wanted to stay inside of her forever, feeling deeply connected in a way he had never felt with any woman. Even after they were finished he lay beside her in ecstasy, excited that he had this to look forward to for as long as he could imagine. As he held her in his arms, smelling her hair and loving the way her glistening body stuck to his, he considered telling her what he had suddenly become certain of. Before he could make up his mind his thoughts began to shut down, and as she snuggled up against him he drifted off to sleep, with three words echoing in his head that he had never imagined he would think again.

...

"I'm getting too close," Damon mumbled into his drink, eyes peering over the rim at his captivated audience.

"What's that even mean?" Earl chuckled, continuing to polish a glass behind the bar opposite of Damon, "Too close? If you love her, just be with her. It's that simple."

This time Damon laughed and wiped the corner of his lip with his thumb. "It's not. I've always prided myself in staying unattached. Last time I let my emotions get too involved. That's not me. For a reason," he glared at Earl to convey his point and Earl's eyebrows shot upwards defensively.

"Whatever you say, kid. All I know is, if Anne wouldn't have known how I felt before I lost her... Well, I can't imagine a worse ending," he placed the shimmering glass on a shelf behind him and threw the rag under the counter, "Drink up. No matter what the poison, this is your remedy. I know you well enough now to say that with confidence."

"On that we can agree," Damon raised his glass and smiled as Earl walked to the other end of the bar, thinking once again how strangely fortunate it was that he had found such an unlikely confidant.

Unfortunately, he could not divulge all of his troubles to his new friend so he stuck to the basics - girl troubles and problems at home. He had not broached the subject of Stefan with Earl yet tonight; he wasn't entirely sure he had had enough alcohol to tolerate the lecture yet.

Stefan's graduation was in two days, and after that he would be gone - for weeks, for months, forever maybe; he wasn't sure, and he was even less sure how to find out. He and Stefan had spoken offhandedly in passing in the mornings and after school, but Damon stayed gone whenever he could manage and Stefan had been spending most of his free time driving to and from the city.

What Damon truly feared now was the conversation he had been trying to have for days. He wanted to be there when Stefan graduated, but he had not been invited and he was uncertain how to ask. He knew time was running out and this would be his last ditch effort at mending the severed bond, so he planned on doing it tomorrow after Stefan got home from school. That is, if all things during the day went according to plan.

This was the ailment that could not be spoken of with Earl; the one that consumed most of Damon's thoughts every waking minute, and the reason why things with Elena had to be placed on the back burner for now. After Saturday there were two things he was very sure of; first, that he had developed intense feelings for Elena that could not be suppressed and second, that while he was working with Klaus to get revenge on Mayor Lockwood he had to step away before she got any more invested.

Tomorrow would be the beginning of his involvement with Klaus' plan. He would attempt to develop a relationship with the mayor and get whatever inside information he could to serve his purpose. He was certain it would not be easy, but even more challenging would be his attempts to keep the strange dealings a secret from Elena. He hated to become distant after the night they had shared, but he was sure neither of them would have done things any differently had they been given the chance again. He would keep her at arms length, but at least for a while what happened between them would have to remain a pleasant memory. He only hoped that what she had promised him was true - that she would be able to wait for him to sort through his issues.

Earl remained busy chatting up other bar-goers for the next several minutes, so Damon slipped a few bills under his empty glass and collected his jacket. Outside he walked slowly to his car, enjoying the cold and allowing the breeze to sober him up for his drive home.

The whole way home he planned out how he imagined the next day would go with the mayor, and by the time he walked through his front door he had not thought once about either Elena or Stefan. He was reminded instantly how sidetracked he had been when he laid eyes on the scene in his living room.

"Whoa," Damon could not resist expressing his surprise. Before him on the couch sat Stefan and a redheaded girl he had never seen before, visibly flustered at Damon's intrusion. The girl sat up and straightened out her shirt, tugging on the bottom of her dress to cover some of her exposed skin.

"A warning would be nice next time," Stefan mumbled, scooting inches away from his date with an ashamed expression that Damon recognized from his own book.

"You didn't tell me anyone else would be here," The girl whispered to Stefan, her eyes falling to the floor.

"No one usually is," Stefan replied, shooting another glance at his brother.

"Don't let me interrupt," Damon threw his hands up and backed out of the room, "I'm not even here," he began to walk towards the stairs, head spinning with shock, confusion, and (dare he admit?) pride.

"You know what, it's late. I should probably go," He heard the girl announce and he closed his eyes, visualizing the disappointment Stefan must be feeling. He wished more than anything that he had remained at the bar just an hour longer, and absentmindedly he wondered how many nights reflected the same scene here at his house when he wasn't home. Maybe this was Stefan's way of getting over Elena; if so, he wasn't as different from his little brother as he had imagined.

Damon remained fixated on the bottom stair, turning casually to watch as Stefan walked the redhead to the front door. No goodnight kiss, no sign of any affection, just hushed mumbles exchanged and a look that Damon knew the girl would be crying over at some point or another. As the door closed Damon braced himself for the inevitable snarky comment that would most surely follow.

"Thank you," Stefan said, and at first Damon thought for sure it was a sarcastic jab.

When Stefan began shaking his head, a smile emerging at the corner of his lips, Damon became even more confused than he thought possible. "You're...welcome?" He replied, stepping down on the wood floor of the hallway outside of the foyer.

"If her tongue went any further down my throat..." Stefan blurted out, instantly making the atmosphere even more awkward. It was obvious he regretted divulging so much information and he retracted quickly, "Just been a long night. Why are you home so early?"

Damon checked his watch, thankful for a change of subject. Stefan was right; it was only just after 9:00, much earlier than was usual for him to be strolling through the door. "Guess I didn't realize what time it was. Ran out of things to bitch about at the bar," he laughed, hoping to lighten the tensity. Instead, Stefan's smile fell and Damon realized he obviously still had to be careful what he referred to around his brother.

"Don't you have a girlfriend you should be hanging out with?" Stefan's tone was accusatory but his smile returned, and he walked past Damon into the kitchen.

"Uh," Damon followed his brother, considering how to answer the question without erasing the baby steps they had taken at repairing their relationship.

"We used to be able to talk about girls," Stefan interrupted, lifting the lid off of a pizza box on the counter.

The words hit Damon hard, and he felt a twinge of nostalgia and regret. It was true; a situation like this would never have been awkward a year ago. In fact, Stefan would have divulged much more than just his date's kissing style. Last year, an awkward night between Stefan and a girl he wasn't into would have usually ended in him texting his brother to come save him; the barge in would have been a planned escape, and the two would have laughed about it afterwards. Now Damon had no idea what his brother was doing when he wasn't around, and for the first time he began to worry about what he might be missing.

"We're, uh... We're taking things slow," He answered finally, searching Stefan's face for a reaction.

"Ah," Stefan raised his eyebrows as if he knew something Damon didn't, an uncomfortable smile still spread across his face. He bit into his pizza without looking at his brother, attempting to remain as casual as possible.

Damon was thankful for the pause and he approached the counter, spun the pizza box around to face him and grabbed a piece of his own. The two ate in silence for a few seconds until finally Damon ventured to the girl subject again, "So who was that anyway?"

Stefan shrugged, attempting to appear uninterested but it was obvious that he was anxious to talk about the situation with someone. "She's in my Lit class. The quiet girls are always the biggest freaks, you know?"

"I didn't know you were dating again," Damon replied, enjoying the confession session and hoping he didn't say the wrong thing just when it appeared Stefan was ready to let him in again, "It's great, I'm happy for you."

Stefan narrowed his eyes and was quiet for a second. Finally he shook his head and threw his crust back into the open box. "Yeah, whatever," He began to walk back into the living room and Damon followed, not wanting the conversation to end.

"So, graduation this week. You nervous?" He leaned against the frame in the entrance to the room as Stefan sat down on the couch, phone in hand before him.

He shrugged, "Why would I be?"

"I don't know," Damon answered, cursing the tension and wishing for conversation to be as easy as it used to be. Stefan had never acted like a disgruntled teenager before, but Damon was certain that this is what parents were always referring to when they complained about being unable to get through to their teens. "Means you're an adult now, right?"

Stefan looked up from his phone. _God, if looks could kill_, Damon thought with a shiver. "I think I've gone through more since my eighteenth birthday than some 'adults' do their entire lives. I guess I have you to thank for that. So to answer your question - no, I'm not nervous about graduating."

Realizing that his current approach wasn't working, Damon decided the best way to get through to a stubborn, brooding teenager with a few too many chips on his shoulder was to fight fire with fire. "All right, dick. I'm just trying to be supportive. No need to get all emo on me," Stefan flicked his eyes up at Damon briefly but had no retaliation. He returned to his text messaging and Damon advanced to the chair across from him. "Look Stef, I know shit is weird with us right now. I get that you're going through a lot, but I need you to understand that I am too. This isn't easy for me, and I have my own shit going on."

"Like what?" Stefan's question sounded more like an accusation.

Damon considered for a brief moment that maybe he should tell Stefan what was going on with Klaus and Mayor Lockwood. Perhaps this would distract from the rift between them, and maybe Stefan would even want to stay in town to help. But then he remembered the conversation they had about the possibility of teaming up with Klaus, and he was reminded that Stefan did not share his compassion for vengeance. "It's nothing too important," He said, his best attempt at aloofness, "But I will tell you that I've been thinking about you leaving," Stefan's expression became guarded immediately, "Are you sure you don't want to stay here, Stef? I can get you a job if you're bored. I just..I worry about you, being that far away. You know, after everything that's happened. You may hate me, but you know the shit we've been through lately and I don't think either of us could have made it alone."

"I don't hate you," Stefan interrupted, appearing to have a weight lifted off of his chest, "You don't think it kills me, Damon? I think about that shit all the time. What if while I'm gone, someone finds out what happened and you get arrested? What if Klaus or his brothers flip out again and decide to get even?" He paused, waiting for Damon to take in his sudden onslaught, "But do you want to know what I think about when I'm here alone every night? I think about you being somewhere out there, with her. And as long as I'm here, the only time I'm able to sleep is when I know you're home, and she's somewhere else. I can't turn it off. And there aren't enough girls that you haven't already slept with in this town to take my mind off of it, either."

As serious as his confession was, Damon knew that the last comment was an attempt to end on a note not quite so heavy and he had to smile. "You think Mystic Falls is bad, wait until you're in the city. I could make you a list of the girls who could use a class on tongue etiquette."

Stefan returned the smile and looked away, welcoming the memory of the old Damon. "It's a big city. I'm sure I'll find some that are untouched by your charms."

An awkward silence followed, both brothers quietly reminiscing about their own adventures in the city together. In that moment, Damon wanted nothing more than to say, _Fuck it, let's go_. To drop everything and go with his brother. Resume their old life together, leave Mystic Falls and everything in it behind. But of course, there would always be one thing keeping him here; that he was certain of, and as long as she was here he knew he wouldn't be leaving.

"Can I at least come to your graduation?" Damon asked finally, already anxiously awaiting his brother's response.

Stefan stood up and replied with no hesitation, "Sure, but I won't be there."

Damon stood beside him, following him as he exited the room. "You're not going to your own graduation?"

"Not my scene," Stefan had begun to jog up the stairs and his response faded as he reached the top. Shortly after Damon heard the sound of his bedroom door closing and he stood in the foyer, feeling utterly alone.

As he turned off the lights downstairs and made his way to his own bedroom, he reflected on how quickly priorities could shift. What seemed important hours ago now felt trivial, and all that he could focus on for the rest of the night was how he could get through to his brother before it was too late - for both of them.


End file.
